A Lake Havasu City man displayed a sense of humor Monday before a Judge imposed the near double-decade prison term mandated in a plea agreement resolving his criminal cases. The moment of mirth came when Judge Derek Carlisle addressed conflicting accounts of how much restitution Jesse Underwood, 37, is being required to pay.
Judge Carlisle selected the lower of the two totals, resulting in an eight-cent reduction in restitution of more than $48,000.
“It’s a small victory, but I’ll take it,” Underwood said prompting a mix of smiles and chuckles from the Judge, attorneys and the defendant’s mother.
Four cases involving 30 felony charges are resolved with Underwood’s convictions for two counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, burglary, theft and taking the identification of another.
Prosecutor Megan McCoy said all of the criminal activity occurred during 2017, most of it in September. She said Underwood was involving in one scheme that aimed to confuse local banks by quickly opening and closing checking accounts to obtain funds that were never deposited.
McCoy said Underwood on other occasions was involved in theft of identification and checks and paperwork for pecuniary gain.
Judge Carlisle imposed the 18.5-year prison term specified in the plea agreement.
