KINGMAN – A Fort Mohave woman charged with converting a check from a Bullhead City church where she previously served as treasurer hesitated during a Tuesday change of plea hearing at the Mohave County Courthouse in Kingman. Melissa Sistar, 42, expressed concern that the conviction could negatively impact her employment pursuits or involvements.
Judge Doug Camacho called for a recess and left the bench so that Sistar could confer with defense attorney Benjamin Coltrin. The pair conversed through an open microphone, essentially broadcasting their communication throughout the courtroom.
Sistar told the public defender that being charged was the result of a game she was playing with her son. “It was just a game,” she said, noting that one of them playfully wrote one check for $1 million.
Sistar’s reply could not be heard when Coltrin asked her if the check in question in her criminal case had been deposited into a bank account.
The hearing eventually resumed with Sistar telling Judge Camacho she was willing to plead guilty to criminal impersonation, reduced from an original forgery charge.
Prosecutor Amanda Claerhout told the court that Sistar “falsely completed” a check in the amount of $230.50 from the Valley Christian Church, and deposited it into her account.
Terms of the deal allow Judge Camacho to designate the offense as a misdemeanor conviction at an Oct. 3 sentencing hearing. Or he can leave it pending as a felony with a misdemeanor designation guaranteed should she successfully complete probation.
