NEW BETHLEHEM BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) — An area woman is facing felony forgery and related charges after she allegedly cashed a fake gaming ticket at a New Bethlehem Borough business.
According to court records, the New Bethlehem Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against 31-year-old Kelly Jo Fenstermaker, of Reynoldsville.
According to a criminal complaint, on November 29, Sergeant Clark, of the New Bethlehem Borough Police Department, received a complaint regarding forgery and theft at a convenience store in New Bethlehem Borough. An employee of the business related that a woman, identified as Kelly Fenstermaker, had been playing a gambling machine on November 19 around 11:28 a.m. and had won a $1.00 prize.
Fenstermaker then reportedly returned to the business on November 20, around 11:56 a.m., with a ticket identical to the previous one containing a prize value of $300.00. Employees of the business cashed the ticket and gave Fenstermaker $300.00. The ticket was then discovered to be fake, and police were contacted, the complaint indicates.
The complaint notes the store employee told police that Fenstermaker stated she had court in Jefferson County and was in a rush to leave the store before being cashed out. Police were also able to obtain a picture of Fenstermaker from the store’s camera system.
Sergeant Clark then made contact with Fenstermaker by phone and asked to interview her in regard to the incident. Fenstermaker allegedly admitted that she used a printing machine to create a fake ticket and then cashed the ticket. She agreed to go to the New Bethlehem Borough Police Department for a further interview and bring the machine she used with her, the complaint states.
Around 5:30 p.m. on December 2, Fenstermaker was interviewed at the New Bethlehem Borough Police Department, where she once again allegedly admitted to printing and cashing the fake ticket. She also brought the equipment she used and while being audio and video recorded (with her consent), demonstrated how it worked. She provided a written statement and consent to a search for the printer, paper, and other related materials, according to the complaint.
Fenstermaker was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Jeffrey C. Miller at 10:30 a.m. on December 11 on the following charges:
– Forgery — Unauthorized Act In Writing, Felony 2
– Theft By Unlawful Taking-Movable Property, Misdemeanor 1
– Access Device Is Counterfeit, Altered, Incomplete, Misdemeanor 1
– Unlawful Device Making Equipment Possession, Misdemeanor 1
A preliminary hearing for the case has not yet been scheduled.
Fenstermaker is currently lodged in the Jefferson County Jail in relation to an unrelated burglary incident.
Details of November 29 Burglary Case:
According to a criminal complaint, around 2:00 p.m. on November 29, Sergeant Murray, of the Reynoldsville Borough Police Department, received a confirmation for a warrant on 30-year-old Jesse Allen Collier, of Brockway, for a state parole violation.
Chief Bell and Sergeant Clark then responded to a residence on Grant Street Extension where Collier was known to be staying with his girlfriend, Kelly Fenstermaker.
According to the complaint, Collier answered the door when the officers knocked and was then taken into custody on the warrant.
When a parole officer arrived at the scene, a search of Collier’s vehicle was initiated. Inside the vehicle, the parole officer found several stolen items, including checkbooks, one of which belonged to a pair of known victims, according to the complaint.
When asked about the checkbooks and other stolen items, Collier allegedly told police he and Fenstermaker drove to North 4th Street and parked approximately a block away from the victims’ residence. Collier went to the residence and opened the doors to the basement which were too heavy for Fenstermaker. He then returned to the vehicle, and Fenstermaker got out and went to the residence, then came back to the vehicle about 20 minutes later. Collier helped her load bags of items she removed from the residence. Then, they drove to Rattlesnake Road and went through the items that Fenstermaker took, according to the complaint.
Fenstermaker was also taken into custody.
During a search of Fenstermaker’s purse, a post-it note was found with descriptions and addresses of “new places,” which included the victim’s residence on North 4th Street, as well as several other residences, the complaint indicates.
Collier and Fenstermaker were both arraigned on the following charges in front of Magisterial District Judge David B. Inzana on December 7:
– Burglary — Overnight Accommodation, No Person Present, Felony 1
– Criminal Trespass-Enter Structure, Felony 3
Unable to post $50,000.00 bail, both defendants were lodged in the Jefferson County Jail.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled for 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, December 19, with Judge Inzana presiding.
