GRAYLING – A Crawford County woman has been charged in district court for forgery and the illegal transfer of property.
The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office contacted last January the Michigan State Police (MSP) Houghton Lake Post to investigate a complaint involving a public official. The MSP was asked to investigate the complaint due to a possible conflict of interest.
Allegations were being made that 68-year-old Shelly Lynn Pinkelman from Frederic had forged a person’s name on a quitclaim deed, removing him from the property they were joint owners of.
During the investigation, troopers were contacted by a local credit union alleging Pinkelman had committed mortgage fraud. After Pinkelman removed the victim’s name from the deed, she added a family member, and applied for a mortgage for the property in the amount of $20,000.
A lengthy investigation followed. Interviews were conducted, bank records reviewed, and documents obtained from county records.
A report was turned over to the prosecutor’s office for review. An arrest warrant was issued on May 18.
Pinkelman and her attorney were notified, and she turned herself in at the Crawford County Jail that day.
Pinkelman and her attorney waived her arraignment this week in the 46th District Court in Crawford County where she is facing one count Forgery of Document Affecting Real Property, one count Residential Mortgage Fraud $100,000 or less, and Utter and Publishing a Document Affecting Real Property.
Pinkelman was given a PR bond.
Her next scheduled court appearance is on June 29 at 1:30 p.m.
