Woman Accused of Cashing Fake Gaming Ticket Enters Guilty Plea

Aly Delp

Aly Delp

Published July 19, 2020 4:32 am
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CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) – An area woman entered a guilty plea on Wednesday for reportedly cashing a fake gaming ticket at a New Bethlehem Borough business.

Kelly Jo Fenstermaker, 32, of Reynoldsville, pleaded guilty to one first-degree misdemeanor count of Theft By Unlawful Taking in Clarion County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday, July 15.

As a result of the plea agreement, the following charges were dismissed:

– Forgery — Unauthorized Act In Writing, Felony 2
– Access Device Is Counterfeit, Altered, Incomplete, Misdemeanor 1
– Unlawful Device Making Equipment Possession, Misdemeanor 1

Fenstermaker currently remains lodged in the Jefferson County Jail on unrelated charges.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred in New Bethlehem Borough in November of 2019.

Details of the case:

According to a criminal complaint, on November 29, 2019, 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.

Court documents indicate Fenstermaker is also facing burglary charges related to an incident in Clarion Township in November of 2019.

Fenstermaker also has multiple cases making their way through the Common Pleas Court in Jefferson County with charges ranging from theft and burglary to felony drug charges.

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