AUGUSTA — A 24-year-old city woman stopped during a shoplifting investigation is going to jail for signing an official summons in the name of her juvenile half sister.

Katelynn McLaughlin was sentenced to six months in jail for that aggravated forgery and for the underlying theft of clothes from Kohl’s department store in Augusta. She was on probation for unlawful possession of a scheduled drug.

McLaughlin pleaded guilty to the two charges Thursday at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta and admitted violating her probation at the time. She was ordered to serve a concurrent six months. In exchange for her pleas, the prosecutor dismissed a charge of failure to give correct name.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Madigan told Justice William Stokes that Kohl’s loss prevention personnel called Augusta police on April 10 to say that two women were shoplifting and left the store without paying for the merchandise. The Kohl’s employees also provided the license plate and description of the vehicle.

Madigan said when the vehicle was stopped, McLaughlin was wearing the clothing that had been reported stolen and that she identified herself at the time as her 17-year-old half sister, signing that name to the summons issued by police.

Later, the half sister called a relative at the Police Department to say she was not the person with whom police spoke, and McLaughlin called police as well “and admitted to using her half sister’s name,” Madigan said.

McLaughlin was represented by attorney Lisa Whittier.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

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