A former Sharon man has been sentenced, completing the prosecution of a bank fraud case that netted seven convictions.

Craig Ison, 40, pleaded guilty April 9 to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced the same day by U.S. District Court Judge Donald C. Nugent to 10 months in prison, 3 years' supervised release -- the federal equivalent of probation -- and ordered to pay $10,425 restitution and a $100 special assessment.

Ison is serving an 18-month prison sentence in Maryland for cocaine distribution, and Nugent recommended that the federal sentence run concurrently with the state one.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James V. Moroney said he believes the Bureau of Prisons will not accept the recommendation and will instead take custody of Ison after the completion of his state sentence to serve time in a federal prison.

Ison admitted cashing four counterfeit checks using the false name of John Norman, Moroney said.

The scheme was masterminded by Charles R. Harris, 32, of Farrell, and Lynette Frieson, 35, of Sharon, formerly of Farrell. They acquired sample checks from businesses and organizations, made counterfeit checks on a computer and helped several people obtain false identification documents to cash the checks or deposit them into accounts for later withdrawal.

The scheme ran from April 8, 1998, through January 1999.

Harris ran the former Chuck and the Whole 9 Yards clothing store, which originally was in Farrell but was in Sharon when FBI agents raided it in January 1999.

The seven people convicted are responsible for making restitution of nearly $400,000 to about a dozen area banks in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The likelihood of getting much of that money back is in question. Many of the defendants qualified for public defenders because of poor financial resources.

The defendants were ordered to pay 10 percent of their gross monthly income for restitution.

Harris pleaded guilty to bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced Oct. 29 to 27 months in prison, a $200 special assessment, 3 years' supervised release and $117,672 restitution.

Ms. Frieson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. She was sentenced in November to 8 months' confinement -- 4 months at a halfway house and 4 months at home with electronic monitoring -- 2 years' supervised release, a $100 special assessment and $117,672 restitution.

Also convicted were:

   » Lori M. Bryant Prince, 33, of Sharon, formerly of Farrell; she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced Jan. 9 to 5 years' supervised release, a $100 special assessment and $13,505 restitution.

   » Barbara J. McGhee, 62, of Brownsville, Pa.; she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced Sept. 18 to 6 months' home confinement, 2è years' supervised release, a $100 special assessment and $5,640 restitution.

   » Phillip "Jiggs" Wells, 30, Farrell; he pleaded guilty Jan. 27 to conspiracy and was sentenced to 5 months in prison, 2 years' supervised release, with the first 4 months under home confinement with electronic monitoring, $37,790 restitution and a $100 special assessment.

   » Joyce Green, 43, of Brownsville, Pa.; she pleaded guilty Jan. 23 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was sentenced to 16 months in prison, 3 years' supervised release, and to pay a $100 special assessment and $80,114 restitution.

   » Devonna Childress, 29, of Shenango Township; she pleaded guilty April 16, 1999, to bank fraud and was sentenced to 1 day in prison, 3 years' supervised release, $14,419 restitution and a $100 special assessment. Her supervised release was extended by a year for failing to pay restitution.

The case was investigated by FBI offices in Youngstown, New Castle, Pittsburgh and Erie and Sharon, Hermitage and Southwest Mercer County Regional police.