A Carson City man is scheduled to to go on trial next year for his alleged role in a spate of crimes last winter that included, according to reports, car burglaries and a check forgery operation.
On Monday, Lee Courneya, 31, pleaded not guilty to more than 50 vehicle thefts and break-ins, as well as document forgery, late last January and early February. District Court Judge Michael Griffin set a trial date of Jan. 3, 2001.
Courneya's alleged accomplice, John Wayne Warren, 28, pleaded guilty last April and was sentenced to at least 16 months in state prison for his part in the robberies. Warren testified in Courneya's case as part of his plea bargain.
In a search last winter of Courneya's Moody Street residence, sheriff's deputies found allegedly altered checks from area businesses and individuals. Car stereos, reportedly missing after area auto burglaries occurred, were also found, along with car registration and insurance papers. A desktop computer and scanner that may have been used to create counterfeit checks on blank check stock were also discovered, according to deputies.
Investigators believe the registrations and insurance papers may have been used to create false identification in order to pass forged checks.