09/20/2007

News / Police: Woman falsified papers

QUEENSBURY * If you’re going to forge a note from a doctor, at least learn how to spell the word “spine.”

A Thurman woman’s effort to get off probation by claiming she had cancer has resulted in her arrest on two felony charges after she allegedly forged a doctor’s note that was submitted to Warren County Judge John Hall.

She is accused of forging the signature of a notary public from Stony Creek on the document, as well.

The woman, Heidi M. Haskell, 42, of Glen-Athol Road, faces charges of second-degree forgery and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, both felonies, and a misdemeanor count of offering a false instrument for filing.

Haskell submitted what appeared to be a notarized note after she sought to get off probation because of ongoing medical problems that she contends resulted in her being confined to a wheelchair.

She was on probation for a 2004 felony conviction for submitting false time cards while working as a home health aide.

Warren County Probation Director Robert Iusi said Haskell had been on probation for more than two years at the time and was seeking to get off probation because she claimed medical problems made it difficult for her to report to her probation officer.

“They asked her to provide medical documentation, and she falsified it,” Iusi said.

The typewritten note, from a fictitious Lake George doctor identified as Dr. Scott Bell, was rife with typographical errors, including the word spine being spelled “spin.” In fact, the very first word of the note, “Here,” was misspelled as “Her.”

Haskell is accused of having a notary from Stony Creek sign a different, unrelated document, then photocopying the notary seal onto the fake doctor’s letter that her son typed for her, and forging the notary’s name.

Hall and the Warren County Probation Department had initially accepted the letter as proof of medical problems and were prepared to terminate her probation.

But when probation officer Sean McGarr looked at it more closely and noticed the spelling and grammatical errors and questioned whether the doctor actually exists, a grand jury was asked to consider charges.

Washington County District Attorney Kevin Kortright, who is prosecuting the case as a special prosecutor because the Warren County District Attorney’s Office had a conflict of interest as a witness in the case, has offered a plea deal that would send Haskell to state prison for 1-1/2 to 3 years.

Because she has a prior felony conviction, she is mandated to serve a prison sentence if convicted of another felony.

Kortright said there has been no proof shown to his office that Haskell has cancer.

Haskell has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is to stand trial in the case before Judge J. Timothy Breen on Oct. 19.

“It’s just an unfortunate situation,” said her lawyer, Jeffrey McMorris. “We’re trying to come up with something (a plea deal) that makes sense.”

By Don Lehman
dlehman@poststar.com
http://www.poststar.com/articles/2007/09/10/news/local/7e7b3d124386acea8525735300118354.txt

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