Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Columbus Forger Finally Experiences Punishment
Mary Majeski, of Columbus, was sentenced twice this week. The woman faced charges in two separate communities: Columbus and Zanesville.
On Tuesday, she appeared before a Judge in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. She was sentenced for forgery, a felony of the second degree involving an elderly or disabled victim, and a loss of more than $37,500. This level of offense carries with it a presumption of prison which means a defendant has to convince the court there are reasons why he/she should not go to prison. This level of offenses has a sentencing range of two-eight years when prison is imposed.
In Columbus, the Judge sentenced Majeski to probation, and ordered her into a rehabilitation program after serving her first year of probation.
Majeski arrived in the Muskingum County Courthouse Thursday, anticipating a similar outcome on her felony crime of possessing methamphetamine in Zanesville.
Judge Kelly Cottrill listened to Majeski’s remarks concerning her rehabilitation plans, reviewed her criminal record and her recent sentencing in Columbus, then handed down an eleven-month prison sentence – one month less than the maximum.
While Majeski protested the sentence both in the Courtroom and in the hallway on her way to the jail, those who came to court with her expressed frustration to the public in the courthouse lobby.
They said they did not understand how Majeski could receive a prison sentence here but get probation in Columbus.
“We are fortunate to live in a county where there are significant consequences for committing crimes,” says Prosecutor Ron Welch.
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