KNOXVILLE, TN—On Aug. 6, Kevin Scott Thibault, 49, Maryville, Tenn., pleaded guilty to a grand jury indictment charging him with two counts of forgery of the signatures of a district court judge and an officer of the U.S. District Court.

Sentencing is set for 1:30 p.m., on Dec. 1, 2014, in U.S. District Court, Knoxville, before the Honorable Pamela L. Reeves, U.S. District Court Judge. Thibault faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three year of supervised release and a $100 special assessment.

Additionally, Thibault has agreed to plead guilty to a one-count information charging him with use of the mail for the purpose of executing a scheme to defraud. This offense carries a punishment of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

The plea agreement on file with the U.S. District Court in Knoxville describes in detail Thibault’s forgery scheme, which began when he falsely represented himself as an attorney and agreed to assist two individuals with the adoption of foster children in their custody. In May 2012, Thibault presented the individuals with fake adoption papers that he claimed had been filed in U.S. District Court, signed by U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan, and certified by U.S. District Court Officer Kathy Keeton. An investigation revealed that neither Judge Varlan nor Keeton signed the documents and the signatures were forged.

In October 2012, Thibault demanded that the individuals sign a power of attorney permitting him to represent their interest in the alleged adoption proceedings. However, the power of attorney actually allowed him to conduct certain financial transactions on their behalf. According to the plea agreement, through the course of this scheme, Thibault obtained at least $400,000 from the victims to further his scheme to defraud and obtain money.

These charges are the result of an investigation by the Blount County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooklyn Sawyers represented the United States.