Chapter 17 - Dad’s criminal case
The bank referred the matter to law enforcement after its internal investigation.
No police arriving at Sunday dinner.
No federal agents.
Documents first.
Interviews.
Counsel.
Prosecutor review.
The amount and use of a copied signature supported charges related to forgery and falsification.
Dad had no criminal history.
Sixty-six.
Retired small-business accountant before semi-retirement? Actually I had not established profession. Let's say he had spent career in commercial insurance and bookkeeping. But no need.
He maintained:
He believed I authorized him.
The prosecution pointed to:
My absence from the state on the supposed execution date.
Mom’s admission she did not witness me sign.
Email routing.
Signature-image reuse.
Dad’s lack of any message from me approving the guaranty.
Eventually he accepted a plea to one felony-level forgery/falsification count.
No prison term.
The judge imposed:
Community control/probation.
A period of home confinement.
Financial-ethics programming.
No acting as signatory or agent for another person’s financial obligations during supervision.
Restitution for certain legal and bank costs tied to the false document.
He also remained liable under his own guaranty to the bank.
Some relatives said:
“Your father is a felon because you couldn’t help your sister.”
No.
My father became a convicted offender because he used my signature on a legal obligation I had not authorized.
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Different sentence.
Different actor.
