JURY FINDS ESTES GUILTY OF FORGERY, 1ST DEGREE THEFT AND CRIMINAL IMPERSONATION
On September 2, 2026, after a two-day trial, a Cowlitz County Superior Court jury found Stacy Estes guilty of Forgery, two counts of Theft in the First Degree, and two counts of Criminal Impersonation in the First Degree for fraudulently convincing the victims to pay her $45,000 to erect a garage on their property.
During the trial, the jury heard testimony, that on May 21, 2022, Estes met with the victim and introduced herself by using her mother’s name rather than her own. While impersonating her mother, Estes claimed to be the owner of a business called “Cowlitz Construction.” Estes provided a bid for building the garage, which the victim accepted. The victim wrote a check for $10,000, which Estes deposited and signed under her mother’s name. On December 10, 2022, the victim met with Estes again at the Kelso Starbucks. The victim paid her $35,400, as she continued to impersonate her mother.
After paying Estes, the victim and his wife observed that the incorrect area had been excavated. The victims contacted Estes and determined that Estes planned to erect the shop in a location that was not previously agreed upon. Estes told the victims that she would put the shop where they wanted it, but it would require an additional $16,000. When they refused, she disconnected her phone and refused to return any of the money.
Cowlitz County Detective Riley McNeal investigated and discovered the phone number that had been provided to the victims actually belonged to Stacy Estes rather than her mother. After confirming by photograph Estes was the person the victim had given money to, Detective McNeal interviewed Estes. Estes told him that she did not operate “Cowlitz Construction” and worked sporadically as an office assistant. She told him the company was owned and operated by her mother, who lived in Minnesota. She admitted to collecting the checks and depositing them.
During the trial, Estes’ family members testified that Estes’ mother had not been to Washington since the end of July, 2020. They also confirmed the signatures on the checks and the construction contract were not the signatures of their mother. They further confirmed that the phone number used by Estes during the contract negotiation process was the phone number they used to communicate with Estes.
Our office appreciates the work of the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office for both their investigation and assistance during the trial. The State was represented by Assistant Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tony Carlow.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
