Six people in an apparent forgery ring have been charged in Stone County Circuit Court with numerous felonies thanks to police work by the Mountain View Police Department.
Det. Jeremy Beaudin said store videos helped identify several of the forgery ring members. Beaudin said 32-year-old Shane J. Branscum could be considered the “ringleader” since he had the $100 dollar bills which he issued to five others who passed the bogus bills at three locations: McDonald’s, Walmart, and Murphy USA. The bogus hundreds were passed in mid-July in Mountain View.
All six have been taken into custody and charged.
The arrestees and their charges are:
Shane J. Branscum / Image via Stone County Sheriff’s Office
32-year-old Shane J. Branscum — six counts of forgery in the first degree; possession of methamphetamine; possession of drug paraphernalia; theft of property; misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance — Alprazolam; and being an accomplice in a felony forgery case. Branscum will also be tried as a habitual offender, having previously been convicted of four felonies.
Branscum’s wife, 28-year-old Amanda Marie Branscum — six felony counts of forgery; misdemeanor theft; and being an accomplice in a forgery case Amanda Marie Branscum will also be tried as a habitual offender.
53-year-old Walter H. Jenkins — charged with the same three felonies as Amanda Branscum.
61-year-old Roger Lewis Welch — also charged with the same three felonies as Amanda Branscum, plus Welch is being charged as a habitual offender, having been previously convicted of four or more felonies.
19-year-old Winter Rose Butler — charged with the same three felonies as Amanda Branscum: six counts of forgery, theft, and being an accomplice in the forgery ring that passed $100 bills.
And, 19-year-old David Marcus Yates — charged with six counts of forgery, theft of property, and being an accomplice in a forgery ring.
Butler will also be tried as a habitual offender
All six persons involved in “passing” $100 bills in Mountain View are in custody, awaiting the first trial date. Each has been placed on a $15,000 bond.
UPDATE, 07/31/2018: Story updated to include sixth person charged, David Marcus Yates.
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