By BOB GIBBINS
STILWELL – Adair County prosecutors have dismissed a forgery count against an area man to refile the case as a misdemeanor.
Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Wright III, of Delaware County, filed a dismissal of the second-degree forgery count against Joseph Josiah Stone. Wright has been appointed to serve as a special prosecutor in the case.
In place of the forgery count, Wright filed a charge of false claims for victim compensation against Stone. Authorities allege Stone filed a false claim for victim compensation on Jan. 22, requesting payment for certain medications allegedly prescribed by Dr. Wojciech Dulowski, and presented a counterfeit counterfeit document bearing the doctor's signature, though he knew it was a forgery intended to support his false victim compensation claim.
Stone has pleaded not guilty and demanded a jury trial. His case has been set on a June 23 jury trial sounding docket before Associate District Judge Elizabeth Brown.
The crime is punishable by imprisonment for up to a year and/or a fine of up to $1,000.
Dulowski, Stilwell Police Department Detective Chad Smith, Assistant DA Shannon Otteson, Shawna Duch, of the DA staff, and the state’s director of victim services, Suzanne Breedlove, are listed as state witnesses.
