Brownwood News – According to a News Release from District Attorney, Micheal Murray, on Wednesday, August 7, 2019, a Brown County jury convicted Damon Wayne Beard of Forgery. Beard was sentenced to incarceration for twenty years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division and a $10,000 fine by the jury.
According to the D.A.’s office, Assistant District Attorney Elisha Bird presented evidence during the trial related to the indicted offense that on June 9 and 10th of 2017, Beard passed two forged checks at the Napa store located in Brownwood.
Detective Kim Holland began investigating the case and discovered additional forged checks, passed by Beard, at numerous locations in Brownwood. Ultimately, evidence in the trial showed Beard continued passing forged checks even after being arrested and having his bond raised.
At the trial, Beard appeared for the initial two days of trial, but absconded for the final day. Beard had been under house arrest and was required to wear an ankle monitor as conditions of his bail. Ultimately, it appeared that Beard removed his ankle monitor prior to court beginning on Wednesday.
The jury heard punishment evidence about several previous incarcerations of Beard, his lengthy criminal history, other forgeries that were not indicted yet, and his violations of his conditions of bond. At the conclusion of the punishment, the jury chose to assess the maximum sentence possible for this type of offense.
