
By: Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Tryon woman on probation for possessing methamphetamine and a stolen gun has been charged with passing two forged checks that were reportedly stolen out of mailboxes in early December in Payne County.
Kristina Marie Patterson, 44, who has also been known by the surname of Lowery, could be given as much as a 14-year prison term if convicted of the two-count forgery charge filed last week. She remains free on $5,000 bond pending her arraignment with an attorney on Jan. 13, 2021.
Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin Henninger alleged in an affidavit, “During my investigation, I learned both checks were stolen out of mailboxes. One check was altered from $650.00 to $1650.00. The second check was altered from $150.00 to $2050.00. Both checks had the signature of Kristina Patterson.”
During an interview with Patterson after her arrest on Dec. 8 at Chase Bank in Stillwater, “I asked Kristina where she received the checks and she told me it was from one of her friends/acquaintances,” the deputy alleged in his affidavit.
“I asked her how long she had known (the woman who has not been charged), and she informed me for approximately six months. She told me (the woman) did not have a bank account to cash the checks. Kristina informed her that she decided to create an account online with Chase Bank,” the deputy alleged in his affidavit.
“She stated the only other bank account she had was with her ex-husband whom she had been split up with for approximately three years. She told me (the woman) told her she could deposit one check and then cash the other check. Kristina told me she figured that if the checks cleared, everything was ok.
“Kristina told me she cashed one of the checks in the amount of $1650.00. (The woman) gave her $200.00 of it back to her for cashing the check. During the interview, I showed Kristina the back of the checks. She confirmed to me that she did sign the back of both checks and the signatures that I had pointed out were hers,” the deputy alleged in his affidavit.
“When Kristina was booked into the Payne County Jail, she was not booked with any money or with any paycheck,” the affidavit said.
After her arrest, a white crystal substance was found in Patterson’s purse, the affidavit alleged.
According to Payne County court records, when Patterson lived on Highway 33 in rural Perkins on March 31, 2017, she was arrested after a search warrant was served on a house she shared with her husband at which methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and 19 firearms, including two loaded guns, were found.
On Jan. 12, 2018, Patterson was placed on five years’ probation under a deferred sentence for possessing methamphetamine, a stolen Smith and Wesson 9 mm gun, and drug paraphernalia. But on Oct. 8 of this year, Patterson admitted she had violated her probation, court records show.
Patterson was ordered to appear in court for sentencing in that 2017 case last week, but she failed to show up and a bench warrant for her arrest was taken under advisement until Feb. 11, 2021.
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