Erie County Acting District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. announces that 40 year-old David Scheifla of Amherst, NY, was arraigned this morning in Erie County Court before the Hon. Thomas P. Franczyk on an indictment charging Scheifla with ten counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree and ten counts of Petit Larceny.

It is alleged that Scheifla financially exploited his 83 year-old mother-in-law by forging multiple checks drawn on her bank account in September and October 2015.

The defendant faces a mandatory state prison sentence with a maximum term of 25 years if convicted of all charges. Judge Franczyk ordered that Scheifla be remanded without bail.

The case was investigated by Amherst Police Detective Catherine Onions. Assistant District Attorney Gary M. Ertel, of the Special Investigations and Prosecutions Bureau, is prosecuting the case.

Like all defendants, Scheifla is presumed innocent until proven guilty.