Kalispell woman admits to bank fraud

The Daily Inter Lake

A Kalispell woman awaits sentencing in federal court after pleading guilty Friday to a bank-fraud charge.

Sara Pluid, 20, appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula on a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. She was released and awaits her June 29 sentencing.

She is a part of the check-forging scheme to which fellow Kalispell residents Krista Hummer and Damien Nickerson pleaded guilty in March.

Nickerson was sentenced to three years in prison. Hummer's sentencing is scheduled June 15.

In October 2005, the Flathead County Sheriff's Office started investigating stolen checks that were being passed at area businesses, according to court documents. Hummer admitted her part in the crimes and said Nickerson also stole and forged checks.

Hummer also said Pluid was involved, particularly with checks on the First Citizens Bank account of Glacier Lite Forms, an area business. Hummer admitted signing some of those checks using another person's name, then giving them to Pluid to use as she wished.

She also said she made two Glacier Lite Forms checks payable to Pluid, who later cashed them.

A week after Hummer gave investigators information, Pluid confirmed many of the details. She said she knew Nickerson and Hummer stole checks from several people.

Pluid also described watching Hummer forge Glacier Lite Form checks, and admitted to using some of them to buy clothing and food. Pluid also admitted the two checks had been made out to her directly, and said she cashed those at an area grocery store. One of those was for $337.64.

Pluid faces as long as five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years probation.