On Wednesday, July 28, a judge granted continuances in the cases of five people accused of misconduct at the recently closed License Plate Agency in Forest City.

Sue Hyder, Cynthia Hyder Kiser and Michelle Leigh Brookshire, represented by attorney Daniel Talbert of Shelby, received continuances until September 1 in the Division of Motor Vehicles case. The continuances were granted by Judge Randy Pool in Rutherford County District Court.

Hyder is charged with felony accessing government computers, felony common law forgery and felony aid and abet.

Kiser is charged with two felony counts each of common law forgery and accessing government computers.

Brookshire is charged with felony common law forgery and felony accessing government computers.

Hyder was the agency contractor at the office. Kiser, Hyders daughter, and Brookshire, Hyders granddaughter, worked at the Forest City tag office.

Martha Joe Bradley, former manager of the agency, and Jason Eric Pruett, a former employee, received continuances until September 1. Bradley is charged with notary fraud, and Pruett is charged with felony common law forgery. Attorney Mark Morris represents Bradley; attorney Jim Burwell represents Pruett.

According to the state DMV, the suspects are accused of entering false information into the database and forging doctors signatures in order to issue handicapped placards on at least 12 occasions.

The state shut down the Forest City office, in the Tri-City Mall, on July 9, and removed boxes of records from the office.

Earlier this month, DMV began taking applications to operate a license plate agency in Rutherford County.

In a separate matter, Sue Hyder and her son, Terry Hyder, are being investigated by the FBI in a vulnerable adult scam. At least one person in Polk County and more in Florida reportedly were affected by the alleged scam.

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