Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Digest

'Ingenious plan' but police say 'she got caught'

By TIMES STAFF
Published March 10, 2007

DADE CITY

Sheila Morgan would have gotten the money anyway. But police say the 48-year-old woman went to great lengths - criminal lengths - to get it into her hands faster. According to an arrest report, Morgan, of 36940 Howard Ave., stole a seal from Pasco County Judge William Sestak's office in the courthouse on Wednesday. Its value: $600. Then she photocopied the judge's signature onto a document releasing funds from the estate of her dead mother and used the court seal to make it appear official. Police say Morgan then tried to pass the forged document at a bank and get access to more than $15,000. "It was something she was due to get anyway, but she didn't want to wait through the process," police Capt. David Duff said. Morgan faces charges of uttering a false instrument, forgery and grand theft. She was being held Friday at the county jail in Land O'Lakes. Bail was set at $15,000. "It was a pretty ingenious plan," said Duff, "but she got caught."

DADE CITY

Youth found shot at site of robbery

Police responded to a 911 call of a robbery about 4:30 p.m. Friday at a Texaco station on U.S. 301. They arrived to find a youth on the floor with a gunshot wound in his head. Dade City police Capt. David Duff said he didn't know the youth's name but said he was a juvenile and was also the suspect in the robbery. The youth was flown to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, where he was in stable but critical condition Friday evening, Duff said. No weapon had been found, and police were interviewing people in the store.

WESLEY CHAPEL

Companies seek impact fee deals

Two companies that want to add nearly 50 jobs in Pasco County could get their impact fees reduced as part of incentive deals. DataMentors Inc., now in Tampa, is building a 10,000-square-foot office in Wesley Chapel at the Cypress Creek Office Park. It would create 20 new jobs with an average salary of $68,000. Florida Gas and Electric Corp. of Land O'Lakes wants to build two buildings for a headquarters and add at least 26 jobs averaging $37,000 in annual pay. Both companies are seeking impact fee reimbursements through the Pasco Economic Development Council. The software firm could get $60,000 back, about 80 percent of its total fee. The utility company could get $71,000 back, about two-thirds of its impact fee. The County Commission will discuss the request Tuesday.

[Last modified March 10, 2007, 07:34:13]