Wichita court records altered

Three indicted for alleged scheme to alter Wichita Municipal Court bond documents.

By The Capital-Journal
Created May 15, 2009 at 11:13am
Updated May 15, 2009 at 11:29am
WICHITA— Three Wichita women have been indicted in connection with an alleged scheme to alter Wichita Municipal Court bond records used to defraud bonding companies. The eight-count indictment unsealed Friday alleges court employee Kaylene Pottorff took bribes to change city court records for bondsman agents Alicia Bell, 35, and Jessie Garland, 41. Pottorff, 53, worked as a collections officer in the court from March 2004 to April 2008. She is charged with two counts each of conspiracy, impairing computer data and bribery. Bell and Garland each face a single counts of conspiracy impairing computer data and bribery. All three women have been arrested.
It was not immediately clear if Pottorff and Garland had attorneys. Attorney Mike Hepperly, who is representing Bell, did not immediately return a call for comment. The indictment alleges Pottorff altered the court's computerized records systems on multiple occasions between March 2004 and April 2008. Bell and Garland then allegedly used the altered lists of active bonds to create false jail booking forms that corresponded with names of bonded defendants. The indictment charges Bell defrauded her biological mother, Pearl Neal, AAA Bonding Co., and others. It charges Garland defrauded Larry Hiebert and B&J Enterprises, which were the bondsman and surety on Garland's bonds. If convicted, the women face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the conspiracy charge. The computer fraud and bribery counts carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, according to the U.S. attorney's office. Pottorff and Bell have an initial court appearance Friday in U.S. District Court in Wichita. Garland is in custody in Arkansas, and her court date has not yet been set.