The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
MILWAUKEE — A prison inmate who forged some court documents to gain custody of a boy and his trust fund probably should have at least spelled the judge’s name correctly.
Kristine Flynn, 52, pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of trying to impersonate a Fond du Lac County circuit judge. With a habitual criminal enhancer, Flynn faces up to 22 1/2 years in prison at her sentencing next month.
According to the criminal complaint, early this summer Flynn wrote out two documents titled “NOTICE” and one titled “ORDER AND DECISION” at Taycheedah Correctional Institution, then had another inmate type them up. The documents purported to terminate a guardianship for another inmate’s 12-year-old son and turn the boy over to Flynn, “his adoptive father to be,” and order police to help Flynn “retrieve” the boy and his bank accounts.
Each document carried the signature of Circuit Judge “Steven Winkie,” in handwriting several people identified as Flynn’s. The judge’s name is Steven Weinke.
When Flynn mailed the documents to someone outside the prison, that person turned them over to officials in Fond du Lac County for investigation.
Flynn was charged Aug. 10.
Flynn had been at Taycheedah from July 2000 until June 22, according to the complaint. She has convictions for worthless checks, theft, bail jumping, battery, escape from criminal arrest and false imprisonment dating back to 1997, according to state records.
She was sentenced earlier this month to five years in prison for her role in a Homestead Tax Credit fraud that was also run from inside Taycheedah.