HOUSTON WOMAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON

Mark Whitehead May 3, 2018

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A Houston woman received the maximum sentence for forging checks after a trial in Brenham this week. Shunta Bailey, 39, of Houston, was sentenced by Judge Carson Campbell to the maximum 20 years in prison Wednesday after a 2-day bench trial.

Brenham Police were called to the Center Drive-In in August of 2016 when Bailey attempted to pass a forged check. The clerk recognized her from the previous day as having also passed a forged check. Both checks were from local businesses, and representatives from both appeared in court to testify that the checks contained the wrong account numbers, issuing banks, identifying information, and that they were not issued by their businesses.

Forgery of a check or other financial instrument is typically a State Jail felony with a punishment range of 6 months to 2 years incarceration. Based on Bailey’s criminal history both counts were enhanced to a Second Degree felony with a punishment range of 2 to 20 years in prison. During the punishment hearing, the State put on evidence of Bailey’s criminal history dating back to 1999, including nearly 30 convictions, a third for felonies, some for Forgery, Identity Theft, and Theft.

District Attorney Julie Renken said after the trial “I believe this will be Baileys eighth trip to the penitentiary, while she’s there she won’t be defrauding our citizens, and hopefully the 20 years will give her time to reconsider her actions.”

Full Press Release from the District Attorney:

HOUSTON WOMAN SENTENCED TO MAXIMUM FOR FORGED CHECKS

BRENHAM, TEXAS, May 3, 2018 – Shunta Bailey, 39, of Houston, was sentenced by the Court to the maximum 20 years in prison on Wednesday after a 2-day bench trial. Judge Carson Campbell presided over the trial in the District Court. Assistant District Attorneys Lauren Haevischer and Derek Estep represented the State at trial, and John Anderson, of Bellville, represented the Defendant.

Bailey was indicted on November 29, 2016 for 2 counts of Forgery. Brenham Police were called to the Center Drive-In in August of 2016 when Bailey attempted to pass a forged check. The clerk recognized her from the previous day as having also passed a forged check. Both checks were from local businesses, and representatives from both appeared in court to testify that the checks contained the wrong account numbers, issuing banks, identifying information, and that they were not issued by their businesses.

During the punishment hearing, the State put on evidence of Bailey’s criminal history dating back to 1999, including nearly 30 convictions, a third for felonies, some for Forgery, Identity Theft, and Theft. Bailey testified in her own behalf that she is now the owner of a Tax Services business in Houston and has learned from her mistakes.

Regarding Bailey’s history, Haevischer argued, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them. Shunta Bailey has shown us who she is for 20 years, believe her.”

During her closing argument, Haevischer asked for a sentence that would protect the public and local businesses from fraud. She also pointed to the pattern of cashing multiple forged checks at the same place in a short period of time as a means of “casing” a business to get an idea of how much cash was on hand in preparation for a future robbery and pointed to the robbery at Tootsie’s as an example. There, some of the men who ultimately robbed the store at gunpoint had recently passed a number of fake checks.

Later, District Attorney Julie Renken commented, “3 of our local business were victimized by Shunta Bailey, a career criminal. 20 years is yet another sentence in the long line of messages being sent. I believe this will be her eighth trip to the penitentiary, while she’s there she won’t be defrauding our citizens, and hopefully the 20 years will give her time to reconsider her actions.”

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