A 33-year-old former Lunenburg County woman plead guilty recently to forgery of a check and identity theft before being sentenced to 69 days she had served in jail awaiting trial.

Lea Renea Stratton received an additional six years suspended upon conditions of good behavior, supervised probation, restitution and warrantless searches, according to Lunenburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement.

Stratton plead guilty in Lunenburg Circuit Court.

According to Clement, the incident arose while Stratton worked part-time at a thrift store in Lunenburg.

“A check in the amount of $150 was cashed at a local store, but was returned by the bank as written on a ‘closed account.’ Stratton was easily identified by a clerk as the person who cashed the check. The owner of the checking account and the thrift store said she had worked for him some, but he had not given her the check and had not given her permission to take and write the check.”

Clement says Stratton disappeared from the area for about four months and was thought to be in Florida. “She returned to Virginia in December and was picked up in Campbell County on Dec. 28.”

Clement says identity theft arises from using someone else’s name or other identifying information unlawfully.

Clement said the jail sentence exceeded the sentencing guidelines, which called for probation and no incarceration.