From staff reports

news@joplinglobe.com

A Kansas man who was arrested in Jasper County faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday to federal charges of possessing dozens of counterfeit driver licenses and materials used to make more false documents.

David Lorenzo Fletcher, 42, of Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. England in Springfield to charges in a July 2007 indictment.

Fletcher was arrested April 23, 2007, on U.S. Highway 71, north of Joplin, by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper who stopped him for an alleged speeding violation. The state patrol said in a news release that the trooper became suspicious when the driver produced three driver licenses and two Social Security cards.

According to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney John F. Wood, officers found materials including 66 counterfeit Missouri driver licenses, with 28 of them displaying Fletcher’s photograph with different names and dates of birth.

Authorities also found five Social Security cards belonging to other people; six false temporary driving permits from the state of Texas; six forged payroll checks; $3,909 in cash; scrap paper with 130 different identities containing dates of birth, Social Security numbers and driver license numbers; and 103 additional Society Security numbers. Fletcher also possessed counterfeit checks purportedly from several different businesses, about 50 personal and business checks belonging to other individuals, and about 30 photocopied payroll checks from various businesses.

Officers also reported finding equipment used to make more documents, blank identification cards and checks, and computer programs for check writing.

Documents relating to previous indictments and convictions of Fletcher for fraud, forgery and counterfeiting also were found. At the time he committed the offenses, Fletcher was on probation after being convicted on three counts of forgery in Jackson County.

Released on bond after his arrest, Fletcher absconded and was a fugitive for nearly a year. He was arrested April 8 by police in Fort Worth, Texas, after a foot chase.

By pleading guilty, Fletcher agreed to forfeit to the government any counterfeit or forged identification, documents, and equipment and supplies used to commit the offense.

Under federal statutes, Fletcher is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine of up to $500,000.