FAYETTEVILLE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Hilltop man has been sentenced to up to a decade in prison for charges pertaining to forgery of a public record.
Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney, Anthony Ciliberti, Jr., reports that in April of 2022, 43-year-old Gary R. Criss of Hilltop, West Virginia was arrested by an Oak Hill Police Officer on charges unrelated to Forgery. During the arrest process, officers were provided by Criss with the name and identifying information of another individual, who was later discovered to hail from Sacramento, California.
Criss himself was processed at the Oak Hill Police Department under this false information and even signed legal documentation posing as this individual.
During processing, authorities were able to determine the actual identity of Criss, who admitted to the act of forgery and confirmed that he had provided authorities with incorrect information due to his own belief that he had outstanding warrants for his arrest.
On August 26, 2024, Criss was sentenced by Chief Judge Paul M. Blake to a minimum of two and a maximum of ten years in prison for Felony Forgery of a Public Record. Criss will be required to serve a minimum of two years in prison before potentially becoming eligible for parole.
The crimes in question were investigated by members of the Oak Hill Police Department and the case was prosecuted by Assistant Fayette County Prosecuting Attorney, Sarah F. Smith.
