MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) —
Alabama state Rep. Kelvin Lawrence was arrested Tuesday on felony forgery charges, the attorney general’s office announced.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office said that Lawrence, 50, is charged with second-degree forgery and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. The attorney general said the indictment alleges that Lawrence, with the “intent to defraud, falsely made, completed, or altered a builder’s license.”
Lawrence, reached by text message Tuesday, declined to immediately comment. The Democrat from Hayneville was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2014.
The attorney general’s office did not release additional details about the allegation. Court records were not immediately available on the charges.
Both offenses are Class C felonies and punishable by one year and one day to 10 years in prison. The case is being handled by the attorney general's special prosecutions division, which mainly prosecutes public corruption and economic crimes.
Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said in a statement that he expects members of the House “to hold themselves to the highest standard of integrity in both their personal and professional lives."
“Rep. Kelvin Lawrence’s indictment presents an unfortunate situation for his constituents and colleagues alike. I have full confidence in our justice system’s ability to assess the facts of this case and determine an appropriate course of action,” Ledbetter said.
The charge is the latest accusation against a state lawmaker. Three members of the House of Representatives resigned after pleading guilty to criminal charges during this four-year term.
John Rogers, a Democrat from Birmingham, resigned from the Legislature after agreeing to plead guilty to federal conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges related to a grant program. At the time of his resignation, Rogers was the longest serving member of the Alabama House of Representatives. State Rep. Fred L. Plump, Jr., a Democrat from Fairfield, pleaded guilty to related charges.
Rep. David Cole, a Republican from Huntsville, last year pleaded guilty to a voter fraud charge that he rented a closet-size space in a home to fraudulently run for office in a district where he did not live.