Former Wyoming journalist facing forgery charges allowed to remain free while case proceeds

WHEATLAND — A former Wyoming journalist facing 10 felony forgery charges will remain free on bond after a Platte County judge set a $20,000 personal recognizance bond during a brief court hearing Wednesday. April Morganroth, who has also used the alias Marie Hamilton, appeared before Judge Jacqueline K. Brown alongside several companions.

The charges stem from allegations that Morganroth forged U.S. Department of Agriculture documents to show she had been pre-approved for a loan and received a grant to purchase a home in Chugwater. According to court documents, the homeowners agreed to take the property off the market and rent to Morganroth and her husband while they made improvements to qualify for the loan.

Morganroth’s legal troubles extend beyond this case. She also faces 10 additional felony charges in a separate matter for allegedly forging documents to oppose a proposed wind farm in the Chugwater area and lying under oath during a hearing about the project. Separate eviction proceedings have also been filed against the couple for failing to pay rent on the Chugwater property. A judge previously ordered the Platte County Sheriff’s Office to forcibly remove them if they did not leave by March 28.

Before moving to Wyoming, Morganroth worked for newspapers in Nebraska and Colorado. The Denver Post reported that one Colorado newspaper fired her for making up quotes and misrepresenting stories about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. She had also faced legal trouble in Arizona, according to the same report. In Wyoming, she has worked for several small newspapers and was the owner and publisher of the 307 Wyoming Sentinel.

Outside the courthouse before the hearing, a reporter approached Morganroth and asked if she was Marie Hamilton. “We’re not gonna talk to you,” she replied. When the reporter asked again, she repeated the same response.

Judge Brown barred Morganroth from contacting any witnesses in the case. Platte County Attorney Doug Weaver noted that Morganroth has not previously failed to appear in court. She is due back next month for an arraignment in the wind farm case.