Three indicted in forgery of late state Rep. Ulysses Jones' will

Three indicted in forgery of late state Rep. Ulysses Jones' will


By Jody Callahan

Originally published 02:03 p.m., December 11, 2011

Updated 10:37 p.m., December 11, 2011

According to a Probate Court ruling earlier this year, a will leaving the bulk of the late state Rep. Ulysses Jones' $100,000 estate to Sandra Richards was a forgery.

Now, along with two others, Richards has been arrested and accused of faking the document.

Richards, Avis Langford-Brannon and Beverly Prye were all indicted by a grand jury late last week, officials said.

All three are facing charges of tampering with or fabricating evidence, aggravated perjury and forgery over $60,000. The trio are employees of the Memphis Fire Department.

All three turned themselves in over the past few days, officials said. Langford-Brannon and Prye both made a $20,000 bond; Richards remained jailed Sunday on the same amount.

The odd saga began after Jones, who had represented District 98 in Memphis since 1987, died in November 2010 of complications from pneumonia. Jones, a Memphis Fire Department battalion chief, was 59.

After his death, Richards, who told the court that Jones was her fiancé, presented the will. Langford-Brannon and Prye, two close friends of Richards, signed as witnesses.

Jones' two children -- Victoria Jones, 19, and her half-brother, Ulysses Jones III, 35 -- contested the document, saying their father left no will.

Richards said she helped Jones write the will on a laptop, but that she tossed the hard drive in the Mississippi River after it stopped working.

During the trial, Richards, also a MFD battalion chief, said she worked as Jones' campaign treasurer, that they lived together and they were engaged to be married.

Jones' former wife, Joann, refuted that, saying the couple still lived together after their 1982 divorce. She said they also planned to remarry.

Judge Robert Benham ruled against Richards, saying he was swayed by her shaky credibility as well as the testimony of two handwriting experts who said Jones' signature was forged.

The ruling rendered the will invalid, so the estate went to Victoria Jones and Ulysses Jones III.

Forgery over $60,000 is a Class B Felony and carries possible sentences of eight to 30 years in jail. Tampering with or fabrication of evidence is a Class C felony with a penalty of three to 15 years. Aggravated Perjury is a Class D felony and carries a penalty of two to 12 years.

A trial date has not been set

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