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Tresa Anderson with defense attorney Tim Hayes.
Woman who forged grandmother’s checks for drug money sent to prison.
#OceanaCountyCrime
By Allison Scarbrough. Editor.
HART — A 26-year-old Ludington woman with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced in 27th Circuit Court Monday, Jan. 29, to serve a minimum of one year and one day to a maximum of 14 years in prison for a forgery conviction.
Tresa Brianna Anderson, of 6225 S. Brye Rd., was facing up to life in prison, because she was initially charged as a fourth-offense habitual offender.
Anderson testified that she forged her grandmother’s checks to get money to buy drugs.
Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of forgery, and in exchange, two additional counts of forgery and the fourth-offense habitual offender designation were dismissed.
Anderson was accused of forging three of her grandmother’s checks totaling $320.
The maximum prison term for a forgery conviction is 14 years.
Sentencing guidelines in the case are 10-23 months. Her sentence runs consecutively to the case for which she is currently on parole, said Judge Robert D. Springstead.
Anderson has served previous prison terms for convictions of organized retail crime act violation in Muskegon County; uttering and publishing in Oceana County; and two forgery convictions in Mason County, according to the Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS).
She testified that all her previous convictions stem from her drug problem.
“I used it for drugs,” she testified about the money acquired when she forged the checks. Anderson described her addiction as “15 years of self sabotage.”
Anderson told Judge Robert D. Springstead that her mother died from a heroin overdose when Anderson was 23 years old. “My mother was an addict,” she said.
Anderson’s grandmother, Alice Vidak, addressed the court Monday, stressing that her granddaughter needs drug treatment. “I know she can be a good person,” Vidak said. “The things that were done, it was the heroin doing them, not Tresa doing them.”
Anderson, who has been incarcerated in the Oceana County Jail since last August, received no credit for her jail time because she was on parole when she forged the checks.
Defense attorney Timothy Hayes said his client has voluntarily sought services through Community Mental Health and recommended that her treatment continue beyond incarceration.
“I am asking for this one last chance,” Anderson said. “I cannot tell you how sorry I am for the crimes I have committed to support my addiction. I would also like to apologize to my grandmother. I am so sorry for all of the pain I have caused you.”
Sentencing guidelines in the case are 12-24 months.
The pre-sentence investigation revealed that Anderson has had several opportunities for rehab, but she continued to use drugs, the judge said.
“The biggest thing is you were on parole and committed additional criminal offenses,” Springstead stated.
“There will be plenty of support available to you in prison and while you’re on parole,” he said. “You’ve got a long ways to go.”
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