Skiatook man pleads in forgery case

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- A Skiatook man has pleaded guilty to a federal forgery charge that may involve about $200,000.

Richard Buchanan Hicks, who previously was convicted of defrauding the American Bowling Congress of more than $400,000, had his supervised release term revoked on Thursday by U.S. Chief District Judge Terry Kern.

Hicks pleaded guilty to exploiting his friendship with Claremore resident Lois Bryant to forge a series of checks.

He was serving the post-custody probationary period after being sentenced in federal court in Milwaukee to 21 months in prison for stealing checks payable to the American Bowling Congress from 1989 to 1993. He was ordered to pay more than $431,295 in restitution.

Hicks also was sentenced on May 13, 1996, in Tulsa by Kern to concurrent prison time plus five years of supervised release for a bank fraud conviction.

As assistant tournament manager, he was put in charge of handling and depositing the American Bowling Congress' tournament receipts.

When the tournament was held in Tulsa in 1993, organizers began to notice financial irregularities.

Hicks admitted diverting Bowling Congress checks into a Memphis bank account and then using the money for his own purposes. Hicks used a Tulsa bank account to transfer the funds.

Hicks will await his Feb. 15 sentencing date in jail.