GREENBRIER COUNTY (WVDN) – A list of criminal charges against Jason Paul Smith were dropped after he entered two felony guilty pleas in Greenbrier County Circuit Court on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
The charges against Smith span across several indictments from 2020 and 2021. The indictments include multiple forgery charges, multiple uttering charges, multiple burglary charges, multiple grand larceny charges, multiple conspiracy to commit grand larceny charges, misdemeanor petit larceny, and one count of forgery of a credit card.
Smith appeared before Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Dent, entering a guilty plea to both felony forgery and felony grand larceny. In exchange, the rest of the charges against him were dismissed.
Assistant Prosecutor Bethany Burdette stated, for the forgery charge, the state would expect to prove that on Dec. 19, 2019, Smith signed forged a check for $365 to purchase firearms.
“Mr. Smith is the one that filled out that check and did forge the signature,” said Burdette. “He did not have permission.”
“I wrote someone else’s name on the check,” Smith confirmed when asked if Burdette’s account was correct.
Burdette continued to the grand larceny charge, stating that on Oct. 4, 2020, Smith stole weapons, jewelry, and a guitar from a home.
“The property value was an excess of $1,000,” she said.
Burdette also noted that she “had a lot of conversations with a lot of victims,” but was unable to reach the victims of these particular offenses shortly before the plea. Previously, she explained the court’s intent to reach a plea deal with the victims; the victims were receptive, she said.
The plea deal states the forgery offense could result in a sentence in the state penitentiary for one to 10 years or the court could sentence Smith to the Regional Jail Authority for no more than a year and a fine of not exceed $500.
For the offense of grand larceny, Smith could serve for one to 10 years or not more than a year and a fine of $2,500. In addition, the deal indicates he would pay restitution to the victims.
Dent accepted the plea deal.
The case next goes to sentencing.
