Former bridal planner's lawyer withdraws after six client no-shows

If Joplin businesswoman Amy Lynn Jones ever shows up for a court hearing, she will have to do so with a new lawyer.

Jasper County online court records indicate Joplin lawyer Brian Glades' withdrawal from the case was approved February 10.

Mrs. Jones, the owner of Dream Maker, a wedding planning business, failed to show for her last six scheduled hearings on a felony bad check charge. After the sixth no-show, Judge Richard Copeland issued a warrant for her arrest and set bond at $3,000. Court records do not indicate that she has been arrested.

The allegations against Mrs. Jones were spelled out in the following probable cause statement:

On 7/22/2013 Amy L. Jones presented check #8406. An altered check, to the Community Bank & Trust, located at 5570 N. Main St. Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, on the account of Pulaski County Tourism Bureau in the amount of $330.00 and purported the check to be real and genuine.

On 7/25/2013, an altered check, was presented to the Community Bank and Trust, located at 5570 N. Main St. Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri, on the account of LA2Missouri Fitness LLC in the amount of $300.00 and purported the check to be real and genuine.

Witness, Beth Wiles the Executive Director of the Pulaski County Tourism Bureau and Visitors Center, stated that they did not authorize the altering of check #8406 for the payee to be changed from “city of Joplin” to “dream Makers Events”.

Witness, Amy Wills with Anytime Fitness (LA2Missouri Fitness LLC), stated that they did not authorize the altering of check #2862 for the payee to be changed from “city of Joplin” to “dream Makers event”.

Amy Jones is one of the owners of “Dream Makers Event” and was the person on bank security video presenting the check #8406 as real and genuine.

Amy Jones, Dream Makers Events, was contracted by the city of Joplin to collect fees for the Route 66 International Festival and agreed to accept checks that were made out to the City of Joplin.

No authorization was given by the City of Joplin for any checks to be altered.

Amy Jones admitted that she was the one who altered the checks and that it was her handwriting. The city of Joplin will assist in the prosecution.