Arrest made in Westerville check theft scheme

WESTERVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) – The Westerville Division of Police is cracking down on a costly crime.

Police first warned residents of a check-washing operation in October when it urged community members not to send checks in the mail. Check washing is when criminals use chemicals to remove ink from checks, then change the amount and to whom the checks are made out. At some point, the checks are cashed.

“Because the fact checks are typically used by the older community, those are typically the victims in these cases," Westerville police Lt. Justin Alloway said.

Alloway said the checks used in schemes like this are often stolen from residential mailboxes or blue U.S. postal boxes.

“You may have a bill or check you wrote for $50 to $100 and those checks are being made out to other people in sums of $4,000 to $5,000," Alloway said.

This week, Westerville police charged a 17-year-old girl with four felonies from multiple cases, according to Alloway.

"This is a big scheme," he said. "We know she was the one piece of the puzzle that was actually cashing the checks and actually taking the money out of the bank."

The division also shared photos of a man they are trying to identify. Police said the man deposited several forged checks into several fake accounts. Those with information are asked to contact the WPD tipline at tipline@westerville.org or 614-901-6866.

“When we show those photos of our suspect that's been out cashing the checks, we truly need the public's help in being able to determine who he is and what his true identity is so we can be able to stop victimizing our elder community here in Westerville,” Alloway said.

He said mail thefts have continued to happen since October, but the number of checks being stolen and washed has decreased. He still said community members should avoid sending checks in the mail.

"It's a very vulnerable way of sending money these days,” Alloway said. “After our first story, we received a lot of questions about, ‘Well, what if I use a permanent marker? What if I do this?’ The simple answer is no, don't do it. It's not worth it. You may write a check for $50, and it comes back as a $5,000 check and that's not a risk you want to take.”