PARAGOULD, Ark. — A Paragould woman faces a felony charge of second-degree forgery after allegedly submitting falsified community service records in an attempt to pay off overdue supervision fees, according to a Greene County District Court affidavit.
Kathy Newman was accused of forging two handwritten notes that claimed she completed a total of 11½ hours of work. The Arkansas Probation and Parole Office flagged the notes on October 13, leading to an investigation by the Paragould Police Department's Major Crimes Unit, according to Detective Corporal Tron Beesley.
Court documents state that a parole agent overseeing Newman’s case first became suspicious after the notes were submitted to the office via an intermediary. The documents claimed Newman completed six hours of work on October 8 and another 5½ hours on October 12. The name "Jenny Lyons" was written as the signature on both records.
The agent contacted Mission Outreach, the organization listed on the notes, to verify their accuracy. Mission Outreach reportedly indicated that the notes raised concerns because the organization typically does not use handwritten documentation for community service. Additionally, staff confirmed that Lyons was not present at Mission Outreach on October 12.
When questioned about the submitted documents, Newman admitted to knowing they were forged, according to the affidavit, but claimed the idea was not hers.
On October 14, Judge Curtis Hitt signed a probable cause affidavit, ordering an arrest warrant for Newman. Her bond was set at $15,000 and could be paid via surety or another form acceptable to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Among the conditions of her release, Newman must comply with a requirement to live a law-abiding life.
Second-degree forgery is classified as a Class C felony in Arkansas. Newman, like all suspects, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.