Two members of trio plead guilty to tampering and forgery

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Two members of a trio have pleaded guilty to tampering with records and forgery in connection with obtaining fake Ohio identification cards and cashing false checks.

Marrio A. Kinchen, 29, of South Field, Michigan, India K.M. Hairston, 20, of Dayton, and Lasha M. Hall, of Delaware, were indicted on Oct. 12, 2017 and charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, tampering with records, and forgery.

Prosecutors alleged that the trio traveled to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles office in Westerville and obtained Ohio identification cards using false residency information. The trio then used those ID cards to open bank accounts at various credit unions and banks in Ohio.

Assistant Prosecutor Douglas Dumolt alleged that once the bank accounts were open, Kinchen would provide Hairston and Hall with fictitious payroll checks from various home healthcare agencies and the women would deposit the checks and then withdraw the funds.

The trio was scheduled to stand trial Tuesday in Delaware County Common Pleas Court, but on Jan. 4, Kinchen reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and entered a guilty plea to one count of tampering with records, a third-degree felony, and seven counts of forgery, fifth-degree felonies. As part of the agreement, one charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a first-degree felony, was dismissed.

According to the Ohio Revised Code, Kinchen could face up to a year in prison for each of the forgery charges and up to 36 months in prison for the tampering with records charge.

A pre-sentence investigation was ordered for Kinchen and a sentencing hearing has been set for Feb. 21 at 8:30 a.m.

On Tuesday, Hairston also reached an agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with records, a third-degree felony, and four counts of forgery, fifth-degree felonies. According to the Ohio Revised Code, Hairston could face up to a year in prison for each of the forgery charges and up to 36 months in prison for the tampering with records charge.

A pre-sentence investigation was ordered for Hairston and a sentencing hearing has been set for Feb. 9 at 3:30 p.m.

Hall pleaded not guilty to the charges at her arraignment on Dec. 15 and was also scheduled to stand trial on Jan. 9, but a change of plea hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 9. Hall is charged with one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a first-degree felony; one count of tampering with records, a third-degree felony; and seven counts of forgery, fifth-degree felonies.

Hall and Hairston remained free on bond Tuesday. Kinchen remained in the Delaware County Jail.

By Glenn Battishill

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Contact Glenn Battishill at 740-413-0903. Follow him on Twitter @BattishillDG.

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