After completing his time at a Licking County jail, a man began forging checks from the jail to use at multiple establishments.

A 33 year-old man pleaded guilty to six felony charges Monday morning and will spend the next four years in prison.

Keith Gibson Jr. pleaded guilty to one second-degree felony count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and five fifth-degree felony counts of forgery.

Between Dec. 14 and Dec. 27, 2018, Gibson printed and forged checks on behalf of the Licking County Justice Center Trust Fund.

The Licking County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the case immediately as Gibson spent over $3,000, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle said.

“If you forge checks that are on the jail account, they’re going to notice that,” Litle said.

According to Litle, after a person is released from jail, any commissary that was unused during their incarceration time is returned to them in the form of a check from the jail.

When Gibson received his unused commissary in the form of a check from the jail, he began forging the documents.

Gibson, along with co-defendant Nikole Wiegand and a third person who has not been charged at this time, spent just over $3,000 with the majority of the purchases being local in Muskingum County.

Monday, Gibson pleaded guilty and also waived his pre-sentence investigation to be sentenced to four years in prison.

Wiegand has been charged with similar offenses as Gibson and is awaiting a jury trial on Oct. 1.

In addition to his sentence, Gibson was ordered to pay $844.13 in restitution. He will be placed on a mandatory three year term of post-release control upon his release from prison.