LINCOLN -- The woman who helped a 26-year-old man in his scheme to pose as a teenage student at two Lincoln high schools pleaded no contest Monday to two misdemeanor charges.
Angela Navarro, 23, of Lincoln, will face up to two years in prison at her sentencing in January for criminal impersonation and child abuse.
According to prosecutors, between Oct. 1, 2022, and June 1, 2023, Navarro pretended to be Zachary Scheich's mother, registering the then-26-year-old in classes under the fake identity of a 17-year-old named Zak Hess.
In September, Scheich was sentenced to 85 to 115 years in prison for child enticement, two counts of first-degree sexual assault, generation of sexually explicit images of minors and attempted first-degree sexual assault. Charges to which he'd pleaded no contest.
In exchange, the state dismissed 10 other felonies.
Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts
Navarro herself initially had faced a felony charge of criminal impersonation, but on Monday prosecutors reduced it to a misdemeanor in exchange for her pleas.
In court records, Lincoln Police said Navarro had posed as Danielle Hess and, when LPS staff called her in June 2023 after suspicions over Zak Hess's identity had been raised, she doubled down.
Navarro even met with a school counselor to register Scheich for classes under the fake identity.
Police said Scheich, who was arrested in July 2023, attended classes at Lincoln Northwest High School during the fall 2022 semester before transferring to Lincoln Southeast -- from which he graduated in 2015 -- for the spring semester.
Prosecutors initially charged him with sex trafficking a minor and two counts of child enticement for coaxing underage girls to send him explicit photos.
The Lancaster County Attorney's Office said 13 teenage girls came forward saying he had coaxed them to send him explicit photos or sexually assaulted them.
What you missed last week in notable Omaha crimes and court cases
Last week's local crime and court updates from The World-Herald.
Crime Alert Top Story Topical Omaha police investigating two stabbings, gunshot wound in three separate incidents Kevin Cole Updated Nov 11, 2024 0
Omaha police are investigating two cuttings and shooting recorded in three separate incidents over a 27-hour period ending early Sunday.
Crime Alert Top Story Topical Autopsy finds man involved in domestic dispute in midtown Omaha died from self-inflicted gunshot Kevin Cole Updated Nov 11, 2024 0
An autopsy determined that a 37-year-old man who exchanged gunfire with Omaha police officers last week during a domestic violence call in midtown died from a self-inflicted gunshot.
Crime Omaha police union, community leaders react after grand jury decision in Cameron Ford killing Luna Stephens Updated Nov 11, 2024 0
A grand jury's decision not to indict an Omaha police officer who fatally shot an unarmed 37-year-old man in his home drew praise from the department's police officer's association and rebuke from community leaders.
Crime Alert Top Story Topical Man injured after exchanging gunfire with Omaha police Wednesday has died Luna Stephens Updated Nov 11, 2024 0
The 37-year-old man who exchanged gunfire with Omaha police officers responding to a domestic violence call in midtown Omaha died on Friday.
Crime Top Story Editor's Pick Topical Man pleads no contest to killing two in wrong-way I-80 crash in Omaha Dan Crisler Updated Nov 11, 2024 0
The 25-year-old man's plea comes seven months after he was charged in the deaths of a 30-year-old Uber driver and a 26-year-old passenger in Omaha.
Crime Alert Top Story Topical Grand jury finds no criminal conduct in Omaha police shooting of unarmed Cameron Ford Luna Stephens Updated Nov 11, 2024
A grand jury has found no criminal conduct in the fatal police shooting of Cameron Ford in August, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine announced Thursday.
Crime Alert Top Story Topical 37-year-old Omaha man arrested, charged in Papillion crash that killed one person Dan Crisler Updated Nov 11, 2024 0
Deputies arrested the man weeks after he allegedly crashed a 2021 Ram 1500 pickup truck near the Richland Drive and Glenn Street intersection on Oct. 11.
Crime Alert Top Story Topical Omaha police identify man and woman injured in midtown shooting Dan Crisler Updated Nov 11, 2024 0
Omaha police have released the names of the man and woman injured in a shooting that involved Omaha police officers late Wednesday afternoon.
Crime Top Story Breaking Topical Sheriff: Man suspected of killing wife -- an Omaha Westside High teacher -- fatally shot by deputy Luna Stephens Updated Nov 11, 2024 0
Rory Geiger was shot and killed by a Sarpy County Sheriff's deputy after a 911 call alleged he had killed his wife Rebecca Geiger, a Westside High teacher, at their home on Oct. 28.
Crime Alert Top Story Topical Omaha police exchange gunfire during domestic violence call; man suffers life-threatening injuries Luna Stephens Updated Nov 11, 2024 0
Police exchanged fire with a gunman while responding to a domestic violence incident Wednesday evening near 44th and Center Streets in Omaha.
Crime Top Story Topical 'It's breaking my heart': Most pedestrian deaths in Omaha in at least 5 years, city says Dan Crisler Updated Nov 24, 2024 0
Omaha is not alone in seeing an increase in the number of pedestrians killed. More than 7,500 pedestrians were killed by drivers in the United States in 2022 -- the highest since 1981.
Crime Alert Top Story Topical Omaha teen sentenced to decades in prison for January gas station shooting Molly Ashford Updated Nov 11, 2024 0
An Omaha teenager was sentenced on Tuesday to 80 to 100 years in prison for a January shooting that left one person dead and two others injured.
Crime Alert Top Story Topical 22-year-old man wanted for fatal shooting in South Omaha arrested in Colorado Kevin Cole Updated Nov 21, 2024 0
A 22-year-old man charged in a Douglas County arrest warrant with first-degree murder in connection with a shooting death in South Omaha has been arrested in Colorado.
Crime Editor's Pick Nigerian national sentenced in Nebraska for $6M business email spoofing fraud Lori Pilger Updated Nov 11, 2024 0
A 41-year-old Nigerian national has been sentenced in Nebraska in connection with an elaborate scheme targeting business executives' email addresses to get wire transfers and preying on others by masquerading as love interests.