One of seven people charged in a federal bank fraud case that included Sharon and Farrell residents has pleaded guilty.

Another defendant is likely to plead guilty in two weeks, while four others have a trial date.

The remaining defendant is still at large and an arrest warrant has been issued.

Barbara J. McGhee, 61, of Brownsville, Pa., pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Court Donald C. Nugent, Cleveland, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, said Assistant U.S. Attorney James V. Moroney.

A charge of bank fraud was dropped.

Ms. McGhee admitted that she posed as Lucy Ham and obtained a West Virginia identification card under that name with the help of Charles R. Harris, 31, and Lynette Frieson, 34, both of 614 French St., Farrell, Moroney said.

Ms. McGhee set up a bank account at Mahoning National Bank for the fictitious business Ham's Bakery, Moroney said.

She withdrew about $6,000 that had been deposited with counterfeit checks from the Boardman, Ohio, an Liberty, Ohio, branches of the bank, he said. She unsuccessfully tried to withdraw money from the Brookfield branch, he said.

She deposited $15,000 in counterfeit checks with One Valley Bank in West Virginia, and was arrested in January 1999 by police when she tried to cash checks on the account at the Morgantown branch, Moroney said.

Wet Virginia police deferred to the federal investigation and did not file charges, he said.

Nugent set Ms. McGhee's sentencing for Sept. 16.

Nugent also set a hearing for July 25 for Lori M. Bryant, 31, of 925 Market Ave., Farrell, to change her plea. She had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Trial for the remaining defendants, all charged with bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, is set for Aug. 20.

Also charged are Harris, Ms. Frieson, Joyce E. Green, 43, of Brownsville, Phillip "Jiggs" Wells, 30, of 622 Emerson Ave., Farrell, and Craig S. Ison, 30, of Sharon.

Wells appeared for arraignment July 1 and was released after posting $10,000 bond.

Ison has been wanted since May 9, when Nugent issued a warrant.

Of those arraigned, only Harris has not been released. He is being held in the Lake County (Ohio) Jail.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Harris and Ms. Frieson obtained checks from businesses and organizations and used them as samples to make counterfeit checks.

The couple also assisted the other five in getting false identification documents to use in passing the checks, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Some of the checks were cashed and others deposited for later withdrawal, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

At least 13 financial institutions in Ohio and Pennsylvania were defrauded of at least $150,000 between April 8, 1998 and January 1999, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Joe Pinchot at

jpinchot@sharon-herald.com