Alleged Forger Arraigned In County Court

Joseph Anthony Shreffler, 39, appeared in Jefferson County Court on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, via webcam from the Jefferson County Jail, where he was in custody. Linda Bauer was the presiding judge.Shreffler was arraigned on a charge of second degree forgery, involving an amount greater than $5,000, a class 2A felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.On December 7, 2021, the Jefferson County Sheriff's office was contacted by Heartland Bank to investigate a reported incident of check fraud. Heartland Bank provided investigators with copies of two checks that had been cashed for a total amount of $5,521.22. The checks bore the name Joseph A. Shreffler.Bank employees provided the Sheriff's Office with security camera video. Deputies located a photo of the suspect on the Nebraska Criminal Justice Information Center (NCJIS) and compared the photo to the individual on the security camera video.Deputies also contacted the authorized signatories of the bank account listed on the checks. According to the Affidavit is Support of Arrest Warrant, one of the signatories, “pointed out a couple of inconsistencies on the checks, stating that her signature on the false checks was close, but not quite correct and that the written sum of the checks was typed out in all capital letters on the fake checks, but she generally wrote that sum out with one capital letter and the rest lower case.”A warrant was issued and Shreffler was arrested.In court, Shreffler requested court-appointed counsel and Public Defender Scott Gropp was assigned to represent him.Court documents list Shreffler's address as a Residential Correctional Facility in Council Bluffs. The defendant described himself as homeless and said, “I'm from Omaha.”Bond was originally set at $100,000 (10 percent). The defendant said he was unable to pay that amount and requested a reduction.County Attorney Joseph Casson did not object, “There could be some reduction.”Judge Bauer agreed to reduce the bond to $50,000 (10 percent).Another hearing is scheduled for April 6.Shreffler has a prior criminal record in Nebraska. Earlier this year, Shreffler was sentenced to three days in jail for shoplifting in Douglas County.In 2019, Shreffler was sentenced to 90 days in jail for possession of a controlled substance, a class 4 felony.In 2007, Shreffler was sentenced to one year in the Nebraska Department of Corrections for attempted burglary, a class 4 felony.

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