A Farrell man pleaded guilty Monday to participating in a conspiracy to defraud banks in Mercer County and the surrounding area.

Philip R. "Jiggs" Wells, 30, of 622 Emerson Ave., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Donald C. Nugent, Cleveland.

A single count of bank fraud was withdrawn by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Wells admitted to buying identification documents from people in Farrell and Sharon with small amounts of money and crack cocaine, said Assistant U.S. Attorney James V. Moroney.

Wells would give the documents to Charles R. Harris, 32, formerly of Farrell, and Lynette Frieson, 35, formerly of Farrell and Sharon.

They used the information, such as birth certificates, to help others obtain false identification documents in order to cash counterfeit checks.

Harris and Frieson made the counterfeit checks on a computer, set up bank accounts and cashed the checks.

Nugent sentenced Wells to 5 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release. The first 4 months of the release time will be spent as home confinement with electronic monitoring.

Wells was released and told to report for his prison term within 30 days, Moroney said.

Wells also was ordered to pay $37,790 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.

Wells was the seventh person convicted in the investigation.

Harris pleaded guilty to bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud and received the stiffest sentence: 27 months' prison, 3 years' supervised release, $117,672 in restitution and a $200 special assessment.

Ms. Frieson; Lori M. Bryant Prince, 32, of 320 Sterling Ave., Sharon, formerly of Farrell; Barbara J. McGhee, 62, of Brownsville; and Joyce E. Green, 43, of Brownsville, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and Devonna Childress, 29, of Shenango Township, formerly of Farrell, pleaded guilty to bank fraud. All are serving their sentences.

The remaining case is against Craig S. Ison, 39, formerly of Sharon, who faces charges of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Like Wells, he agreed to allow a presentencing investigation to be conducted, a likely precursor to pleading guilty. A court spokeswoman said the judge is waiting for the PSI report to come back before a hearing is set for a change of plea and sentencing.