HARRISBURG, PA — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced on Friday that Damien Hartsfield, a Philadelphia man, will serve up to 12 years in prison for forging documents to evade child support obligations. He must also pay restitution.
Hartsfield, 37, was convicted in January of multiple felonies, including forgery, theft by deception, identity theft, conspiracy, perjury, and misdemeanor false swearing.
On Tuesday, he received a sentence of 6 to 12 years in prison, followed by 3 years of probation. Hartsfield must also pay $5,400 in restitution to the child’s mother.
Hartsfield owed over $17,000 in child support. To avoid these payments, he forged documents to make it appear that the child’s mother no longer wanted support.
“The defendant concocted an elaborate scheme that involved identity theft to deceive the family court and avoid legal obligations to his child,” said Attorney General Henry. “This trial conviction and sentence hold the defendant accountable and puts the child support order, and money owed, back into effect.”
Hartsfield had someone impersonate the mother using a duplicate driver’s license. He created a notarized letter stating the “mother” did not want child support. Hartsfield then lied under oath to a family court judge.
Despite owing child support, Hartsfield received a $10,000 award from an unrelated lawsuit and vacationed in Cancun. The mother discovered the fraud and contacted law enforcement.
Senior Deputy Attorney General Thomas Ost-Prisco prosecuted the case and secured the conviction.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.