SERVING ASCENSION, ASSUMPTION & ST. JAMES PARISHES

Woman Sentenced to 9 Years on Forgery Counts

          On June 11, 2018, Annette Burch of Marion, LA., age 44, pled guilty to 3 counts of Forgery. Burch was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Leila Braswell, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Jason Verdigets. This guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors following a 2017 investigation. 

          On July 14, 2017, deputies with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a local business in reference to a forgery complaint. Upon arrival, deputies made contact with the manager of the business who advised that as she was processing checks from previous sales, she observed 3 checks that appeared to be altered totaling up to approximately $842. Certain fields of the checks had been scratched through and new information was written. Several days later, the suspect returned to the store to return the items purchased with the checks for cash. Employees recognized the woman to be the individual who had made purchases with the altered checks. Employees activated the silent alarm and attempted to stall the suspect, but the suspect became suspicious and fled. Several days later, deputies were alerted that similar activities had occurred in West Baton Rouge Parish during the same time frame and deputies in that jurisdiction were actively searching for Annette Burch as a suspect. Ascension Deputies showed a photo-lineup to the local store manager who was able to positively identify Annette Burch as the individual who made purchases with the altered checks. A warrant of arrest was issued for Burch who was subsequently arrested and booked into the Ascension Parish Detention Center.  

          Upon entering a guilty plea to the above-mentioned counts, as per the plea agreement with prosecutors, Burch was sentenced to 9 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served