Town of Lyme Clerk Kim D. Wallace was not fooled recently when a Watertown man, wanting to take her daughter on an out-of-state drive, presented her with an alleged phony document bearing a state Department of Motor Vehicles letterhead saying that he could legally drive.

Travis S. Martin, 29, of 631 S. Hycliff Drive, Apt. C, on Oct. 24 presented at Mrs. Wallace’s office in Chaumont a document bearing signatures appearing to be those of state DMV Commissioner Barbara J. Fiala and Jefferson County probation officer Rick Barrisford, indicating that he had satisfactorily completed a course regarding driving under the influence of alcohol, according to documents filed Wednesday in Watertown City Court. He did so, according to the court file, while asking Mrs. Wallace’s permission to have her daughter accompany him to North Carolina.

Mrs. Wallace was concerned that her daughter might end up stranded in another state if Mr. Martin were jailed as a suspended driver. She also suspected the document to be a fake, made a copy and sent it to Mr. Barrisford, who confirmed her suspicions, according to the court file.

The fake document was created Oct. 19 at 435 S. Hycliff Drive, Apt. 631-C, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department alleges.

Mr. Martin was arrested Wednesday by the sheriff’s department on felony second-degree counts of forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument. He was committed to the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building, with bail set $1,000 by part-time City Judge Catherine J. Palermo. He awaits possible grand jury action.

Mr. Martin’s license was revoked in August 2011 in Jefferson County Court after he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of driving while ability impaired by alcohol and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation. He also was sentenced to three years’ probation and was fined $550. The convictions stemmed from an arrest on Aug. 2, 2009, by Watertown police.

Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.

You can continue on to this article in a few seconds, or you can visit one of our websites:

• Watertown Daily Times
• The Ogdensburg Journal
• Daily Courier-Observer