PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- A Philadelphia man jailed on tax fraud and forging convictions received a five-year sentence for forging a judge's signature to get him released from prison.
Kevin William Small, 50, convicted in 2007 of filing false tax claims while already imprisoned, was ordered by presiding U.S. Middle District Chief Judge Christopher Conner to serve the sentence after he completed the term he was already serving.
When the first prison term ended in 2012, Small forged documents, with Connor's forged signature, that stated the second conviction was vacated. It convinced state authorities to release Small rather than hand him over to begin his second sentence, the Pennsylvania news website pennlive.com reported Tuesday.
Small was free for two months before he was arrested again, Small said.
In court documents, Assistant U.S. attorney Christy H. Fawcett described Small's scheme as elaborate, noting his study of court documents, careful forgery of court officials' signatures and the design of a fake court seal which was ordered online for him by a person outside the prison.
