A Columbus man pleaded guilty to forgery charges Monday afternoon in Delaware County Common Pleas Court and admitted to using forged credit cards to make purchases at a store in Delaware County.
Glen Allen Graves, 46, appeared before Delaware County Common Pleas Judge Everett Krueger Monday for a change of plea hearing.
Going into the hearing, Graves was charged with four counts of possessing criminal tools, fifth-degree felonies; four counts of forgery, fifth-degree felonies; one count of receiving stolen property, a fifth-degree felony; one count of attempted theft, a first-degree misdemeanor and two counts of theft, a fifth-degree felony one first-degree misdemeanor.
Graves originally pleaded not guilty to these charges and was scheduled to stand trial on April 25, but court documents indicate that on March 7 Graves had reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and would be changing his plea for some of the charges.
Assistant Delaware County Prosecutor Cory Goe outlined the agreement at the hearing Monday and said Graves would be pleading guilty to four counts of forgery, fifth-degree felonies. Goe said the remaining eight charges would be dismissed and Graves would agree to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at sentencing.
Goe said he and Graves’ attorney, O. Ross Long, would not make any recommendations on sentencing.
Krueger asked Graves to explain what he did to lead to the charges and Graves explained that in January of this year he got credit cards in his name but with magnetic strips and chips from other people’s cards and used them to make purchases at a store in Delaware County. Graves said he used the cards twice but was unsuccessful the second time.
Krueger accepted Graves’ plea to the four forgery charges, fifth-degree felonies, and the remaining charges were dismissed.
Krueger scheduled Graves for a sentencing at 11 a.m. on April 24.
Graves was clearly in pain and had difficulty speaking at the hearing Monday due to an abscessed tooth. Long asked that Graves be released from the Delaware County Jail before the sentencing so he could take care of his tooth.
With no opposition from prosecutors, Krueger released Graves on a recognizance bond but said he faces a fine of $5000 if he violates the terms of the bond.
