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Man pleads guilty to forgery An Ashland man pleaded guilty to three forgery counts and is serving 10 days in jail to be followed by 18 months of probation. Michael McNamara was sentenced Jan. 22 for creating fake California driver licenses that were sold for $80 to $115 throughout the Rogue Valley. Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Lorenzo Mejia issued the sentence on the three class C felony counts - 10 days for each count to be served concurrently. Medford Oregon Liquor Control Commission Inspector Rich Miller praised the success of the false ID program that led to the arrest. "The staff at these local businesses really got the ball rolling on this," Miller said. "Because of their diligence, we were able to put this case together." The case unfolded in July 2001 when bar employees seized several bogus California licenses from customers and turned them over to the OLCC under its False ID Program. A second Ashland man, Brendan Jones, pleaded guilty to one forgery count in August 2002. The two Ashland men were indicted by a Jackson County Grand Jury in January 2002, stemming from the OLCC investigation. Officials said that from May-August 2001 the two men created the phony licenses "with intent to injure and defraud" in violation of ORS 165.013. The seven fake licenses each carried a different person's digital photo, name, date of birth and other information. Miller said the fake ID problem stretches beyond minors using them to get into bars, to include identity theft, financial fraud, falsely applying for public benefits and other crimes. "Anyone using these licenses � could be charged with a felony," Miller said. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -