COUNTY - Forging a criminal record check form to try to get a job nearly landed an Oakland man in jail last week.

 Calling it a "flagrant attempt" to be untruthful, Crown attorney Lloyd Tancock asked the judge to jail Wayne Randolph Turpin for about six months.

 Mr. Turpin, 38, used his mother's completed record check form to create a blank document, filled it in for himself, then used it to apply for work in August 2009. The deceit was discovered and Mr. Turpin was charged.

 He pleaded guilty to charges of forgery and passing a forged document in early December and was back in court January 20 to face sentencing.

 It was obvious he wasn't happy about the situation.

 "I did what I needed to do, you guys do what you need to do," Mr. Turpin told Judge Richard MacKinnon.

 Mr. Turpin told the judge he was trying to get a "good" job to support his family, saying working at a fast food place wouldn't cover child care costs. He pays child support and his partner is expecting a baby.

 He said he'd used a fake record check form before and just got fired when it was discovered. He said he didn't know he'd face criminal charges this time around.

 "I really didn't think that it would involve doing any kind of jail time," he said. "At least in jail, they let me work. I can't work out here. In jail, I can educate myself. I can do a lot, more than I'm doing out here. It looks like I can't win anyway, so just do what you gotta do.

 "If the court feels that justice will be served by locking me up, then I'm ready to be locked up today," he added.

 Mr. Turpin has 19 previous criminal convictions, including 11 for property-related crimes. He served federal time in the early 1990s.

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 In the end, Judge MacKinnon told Mr. Turpin his attitude wasn't helping the situation. However, the judge opted not to jail him, instead placing him on a conditional sentence with six months on house arrest.

 During that time, Mr. Turpin must take counselling as directed and stay clear of alcohol and drugs. The counselling will continue for the following year when he will be on probation.

posted on 01/26/10