A woman from Pottawattamie County was sentenced Tuesday, to six years in prison on forgery and drug charges. The Daily NonPareil says 43-year old Melanie Walker, of Council Bluffs, was sentenced on two counts of forgery and one misdemeanor count of methamphetamine possession. The judge sentenced Walker to five years in prison on both forgery counts and ran the sentences concurrently, meaning Walker can serve both at the same time. He also sentenced Walker to one year in prison on the drug charge.

That sentence will be served after Walker finishes her five-year sentences for writing bad checks. Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney Shelly Sudmann said that property crimes don’t typically lead to lengthy prison terms, but Walker’s age and her lengthy criminal history led to the state recommended sentence of 11 years in prison.
Sudmann said Walker has had 11 convictions of fraud or forgery since 1994.

The judge went with six years instead of the 11, but did call Walker’s criminal history “atrocious.” Walker was arrested in February and released after posting $25,000 bond in March. She pleaded guilty to the three counts on Sept. 2, 2015. Her sentencing hearing was continued twice.