Caldwells bitten by bad checks
After losing a long battle with the city trying to save the lives of their dogs, a Cherry Lane couple is again pitted against the law, this time for allegedly passing a number of forged checks at various businesses around the area.
The defendants, Aaron and Bryan Caldwell, have both been hit with criminal charges for a string of worthless checks. Mrs. Caldwell faces the lion’s share of charges, 14 at latest count, for passing worthless payroll checks, most for hundreds of dollars.
According to prosecutors, many of the checks were computer generated and were from a fake company. However, the account number used came back to an account belonging to the Caldwells.
“They did this because they knew businesses would be quicker to cash a payroll check on a company than they would a personal check,” said District Attorney General Dale Potter.
Potter said they are still finding worthless checks passed by the couple and is advising anyone being presented with a check by the Caldwells to use caution before accepting it.
“This time of year merchants should take more time looking at checks and requiring identification because criminals take advantage of the Christmas rush to pass their fakes and try to slide them through,” Potter said.
The criminal charges come weeks after the Caldwells lost a bid to save their two dogs, a boxer and pit bull, which were put down by order of the city for being public menaces. The dogs had been accused of biting an 11-year-old girl and attacking a city meter reader.
Meanwhile, Mr. Caldwell has already served time in jail for accosting the same meter reader and still faces trial for his dog attacking the little girl. The Caldwells together have been found guilty of libel for making false allegations against a former neighbor and owe him $27,000.
The couple has been evicted from their Cherry Lane rent house and are currently residing in Coffee County, Mrs. Caldwell in the Coffee County Jail. Their former landlord also has vandalism charges against them for their alleged trashing of the rent house. They will answer the most recent charges Jan. 3.