Check fraud earns more prison time for young woman

A 25-year-old woman with multiple felony convictions for check fraud and identity theft was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in Nevada State Prison for her Douglas County crimes.

"I hope at the age of 25 - with 16, maybe 17 felonies - you ought to do something different with your life," District Judge Dave Gamble told Miranda Jones.

Gamble sentenced her for crimes from this year and 2008. She currently is serving a six-year sentence in California and faces a probation violation on a 2006 federal charge of mail theft.

"I just want to apologize, especially to my victims," Jones said. "At the time I didn't realize what I was doing to the victims. I can't excuse it, but now I've had so much time to think about it, I will turn my life around and repay my victims. I am sorry."

She pleaded guilty to uttering a forged instrument and illegally obtaining personal identity information.

Gamble sentenced Jones to 30 months on the check charge and ordered her to pay $3,550 restitution, consecutive to her time in California.

She was sentenced to up to 60 months on the stolen identity charge to be served concurrent to the check charge.

Jones must serve a minimum of one year in Nevada before she is eligible for parole. If she violates probation, she faces up to 90 months in prison.

"My intention is to have you face a long parole tail to assist you in changing your life and make sure you change it to the extent I can," Gamble said.

"My intention also is to add a modicum of time in Nevada to recognize Ms. Jones committed these crimes in Nevada," he said.

Jones was convicted of nine felonies in California from one crime spree. Her lawyer, Derrick Lopez, said the California victims had been paid.

Prosecutor Laurie Trotter asked that Jones' Nevada sentences be concurrent to her California time.

"She is perfecting her ability to fabricate checks and cash them," Trotter said. "She continued her crimes and recruited people in our county and other counties to help her."

Trotter said Jones had recruited one of her assistants in Douglas County while both women were jailed in Washoe County.

Gamble forbid Jones to have contact with any of her victims or co-defendants.