Toledo man found guilty of passing bad checks in Wood County

3/1/2007
BLADE STAFF

BOWLING GREEN A Wood County jury deliberated just an hour before handing up guilty verdicts Wednesday afternoon against a Toledo man responsible for passing more than $100,000 in counterfeit checks.

Lee Darrington, 29, of 4136 Berwick Ave. was convicted of theft in excess of $100,000, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, forgery, and trafficking in cocaine.

Wood County Common Pleas Judge Alan Mayberry promptly sentenced Darrington to 14 years and 11 months in prison to be served after he completes the prison sentence he is currently serving from a Lucas County conviction.

Darrington was considered the ringleader of a group that began passing bad checks at businesses in Wood and Lucas counties late in 2005. Wood County investigators got involved last year after Perrysburg Municipal Court discovered that some of the counterfeit checks were written with the court s account number. Four others have been convicted in the case, while a jury last month acquitted Adaris Welch, 20, of Toledo on related charges.

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