Woman charged with forging sheriff’s signature
A North Port woman has been arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on several counts, including forging Sheriff Mike Scott’s signature.
According to a report from the Sheriff’s Office, on Oct. 30, at around 8:56 a.m., deputies responded to 535 N.E. Pine Island Road in reference to a reported forgery. At the scene deputies met with the complainant, an employee of PAR Services, who stated a client, identified as Janet Asleson Bick, 43, was required to submit a letter from her employer demonstrating proof of employment.
The LCSO report indicates the letter Bick submitted identified her as a deputy with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and contained the signature of Sheriff Scott. The letter was reportedly handwritten with a letterhead that appeared to be photocopied.
Believing the letter was fraudulent, the complainant contacted the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Human Resources Division.
According to the report, the LCSO Human Resources confirmed no one by the name of Janet Bick has ever been employed by the Sheriff’s Office. Personnel did discover, however, that Bick had applied for a non-certified Corrections Officer position with the LCSO, but had been issued a rejection letter in June 2008.
Due to the nature of the incident, detectives with the LCSO Economic Crimes Unit assumed the investigation. Investigators met with employees and witnesses at PAR Services and members of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was determined by detectives that Bick pretended to be an employee with the LCSO when she submitted the documentation containing copied agency letterhead and the forged signature of Sheriff Scott.
According to the report, Bick, who’s most recent address is listed as 3705 N. Cranberry Blvd., North Port, Fla., has been charged with one felony count of fraudulent/criminal use of personal identification information, one felony count of forgery, one felony count of uttering a forged instrument and one felony count of falsely impersonating an officer in the commission of a felony.
Bick remains in custody, according to the LCHO Web site.