Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has announced the indictment of a Muscle Shoals man, Gregory Clay Kirk, in a case involving multiple property crimes. Kirk was arrested and booked into the Madison County Jail on Thursday with his bond set at $475,000.
The alleged crimes took place in Madison County and were investigated by the Huntsville Police Department, the Madison Police Department, and the Attorney General’s Consumer Interest Division. The Consumer Interest Division recently presented evidence to the Madison County Grand Jury that led to Kirk's indictment.
The indictment charges Kirk with 14 counts of theft of property in the first degree, one count of theft of property in the second degree, one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, one count of forgery in the second degree, and one count of fraudulent use of a credit card.
If convicted of the first-degree theft charges - class B felonies - Kirk faces a statutory penalty ranging from 2 to 20 years and a maximum fine of $30,000 for each count. Convictions for second-degree theft of property, possession of a forged instrument, and forgery charges - all class C felonies - could result in penalties from one year and one day up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $15,000. A conviction for fraudulent use of a credit card charge - a class D felony - could lead to penalties from one year and one day up to 5 years in prison and a maximum fine of $7,500.
Attorney General Marshall expressed gratitude towards the Madison County District Attorney’s office for their assistance with this case. He is also prosecuting Kirk in Franklin County where he was indicted in February for one count of theft of property in the first degree based on evidence presented to the Franklin County Grand Jury by District Attorney Jeff Barksdale. Given that Attorney General Marshall is already investigating the Madison County charges against Kirk, Barksdale requested that the Attorney General handle the prosecution. If convicted in this case, Kirk faces a statutory penalty of 2 to 20 years and a maximum fine of $30,000. He was released on a $10,000 bond in the Franklin County case.
It should be noted that an indictment is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.