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County Official
Discovers Her Own Name on Forged Documents
Source of Title
12/19/2006 Reprinted with permission
Dorothy Ard, a court official who acts as the pre-trial services supervisor in Lake County, Indiana recently discovered that her name appeared on forged documents filed within the county recorder's office. According to an article in The Northwest Indiana Times, Ard's name was forged on deeds and checks that connect her to a land transaction with Gary Urban Enterprise Association, which is now defunct.
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The county records and those maintained internally by GUEA indicate that Ard purchased three land parcels in 1999 for $2,600 and later resold them to GUEA in 2001 for $51,500. The article stated that two separate sources indicated that the deposit check to Ard was simply endorsed with a deposit only stamp and Ard's name was printed above the stamp. The check was from Willie Harris' law firm's business account. This would be the second time that Harris was accused of forging someone's name on documents pertaining to a land sale transaction.
Despite her signature on the documents, Ard denied any involvement in the land sale transactions and said she had no contact with anyone at GUEA.
"I didn't do anything with that group," Ard added. "I didn't receive anything from that place, that GUEA. I don't know any of those people."
She did, however, confirm conversations with federal
investigators about the check and the documents and indicated that
this occurred this year. Bernard Carter, the Lake
County prosecutor and Ard's brother, indicated in October that he
was aware of the allegedly forged documents and said that he
did not appoint a special prosecutor because so many other
agencies already were investigating the GUEA.
However, charges have been filed against Harris and six others for
alleged wrongdoing in association with the GUEA. All seven of
those indicted have pled not guilty to the charges that were filed
against them. Federal prosecutors claim that, despite his not
guilty plea, Harris knowingly forged signatures in another land
transaction deal in 2001.
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