Pocatello man gets five-year sentence for grand theft, forgery

POCATELLO — A man who pleaded guilty to two felonies for stealing and cashing checks from a former employer has been sent to prison.

Casey Gene Blessinger, 31, pleaded guilty to grand theft and forgery as part of a plea agreement. In exchange, the Bannock County Prosecutor dismissed felony charges for burglary, grand theft and forgery.

The plea agreement included numerous charges from unrelated arrests, court records show.

At a Monday sentencing hearing, District Judge Robert Naftz ordered Blessinger to serve a prison sentence of three to five years.

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Blessinger was arrested in August after his former employer reported to police that someone had entered their business and taken checks from a lockbox. Two checks, for $1,500 apiece, were later fraudulently deposited.

The business owner told officers that Blessinger had previously taken six checks and cashed them for a total of $6,000. Blessinger and the victim settled the matter out of court, with Blessinger signing over the deed to his truck to the victim as payment.

Surveillance video from the bank showed a man matching Blessinger’s description making the transaction. During the arrest, Blessinger admitted to officers that he stole the checks and then forged and cashed them.

In unrelated arrests, Blessinger was charged with numerous additional felonies, including domestic assault, unlawful possession of a firearm and intimidating a witness.

Those charges, plus a felony for possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor for violating a no-contact order, were included in the plea agreement. Naftz sentenced Blessinger to a unified prison sentence of three to five years.

In addition, Blessinger was ordered to pay $2,2680.50 in fees and fines.