Lake Charles, Louisiana — David K. Ware, a 49-year-old Lake Charles resident, was sentenced to a suspended prison term after pleading guilty to two counts of forgery, according to court records released Tuesday.

Judge Bobby Holmes handed down the sentence on April 10, ordering Ware to serve three years of supervised probation instead of jail time. The sentence includes a suspended three-year prison term, meaning Ware will only face incarceration if he violates his probation conditions.

Prosecutors detailed how Ware altered two checks in 2022 by changing the payee name to his own. In a carefully coordinated scheme, Ware cashed the forged checks at two separate banks within just 30 minutes of each other, netting a total of $4,467.36 from the fraudulent transactions.

Check forgery, a form of financial fraud, involves altering or falsifying a check to obtain money unlawfully. This crime can vary in severity depending on the amount stolen and other factors, leading to penalties ranging from probation to significant prison time.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys David Guidry and Jordan Sutterfield, representing the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney's Office.

Local law enforcement officials encourage businesses and individuals to implement strict check verification procedures and to report suspicious banking activity immediately. Financial institutions typically have fraud protection measures but recommend customers regularly monitor their accounts for unauthorized transactions.