Police warn of bad checks around town

Local banks have been scammed out of thousands of dollars in the past couple weeks by a check counterfeiting ring which has managed to pass 19 fake checks.

?We are looking for four Hispanic males who have passed these checks, each for hundreds of dollars apiece, at First National and Security Federal banks here in Warren County,? said McMinnville police investigator Marty Cantrell who is working with county investigator Patrick Ray on the large-scale scam. ?The incidents happened over about a week period beginning March 20.?

The checks themselves bear the names of Cumberland Abrasive Tool Company, doing business with First National, and Tri-Tech Molding, doing business with Security Federal, both of which are legitimate customers of the banks. The checks were apparently stolen from the two businesses.

?We had checks come up missing from the businesses and we suspect they have made copies of these checks so there?s more out there than were taken in the original theft,? Cantrell said, noting the loss to the local banks from the scam has far exceeded $10,000 already. ?The thing is, we know from video surveillance that four Hispanic males are passing these checks but there are no Hispanics who work for these companies so we?re trying to determine how these checks were stolen and how they got into the hands of those who are passing them.?

Along with the 19 checks which have been passed at the two banks, there was another attempt where the forgers were rebuffed.

?The clerk questioned their IDs which turned out to be bogus resident alien cards,? Cantrell said of a visit to First National on Sparta Street. ?When this happened they fled on foot before police got there, leaving their bogus cards behind.?

Cantrell said the fake checks being passed appear to be payroll-type checks. However, none of the fakes have turned up over the past week. Anyone having information should contact police at 473-3386 or the sheriff?s department at 473-8738.