Check written on snowy day leads to forgery arrest

A man attempting to cash a Washington Mutual check at the Timberland Bank at 117 N. Broadway in Aberdeen prompted the branch manager to contact law enforcement Monday afternoon, according to a statement released Thursday by Aberdeen Police. The man attempting to cash the check had a different name than that on the check, and the branch manager was aware that the local Washington Mutual had been closed for some time and noticed the check was written for landscaping on a day it had been snowing.

As the manager was talking with fraud management on the phone, the man became irritated and impatient, leaving the bank. The next day, officers contacted the owner of the account, who said he had met the suspect through a friend earlier in the week and had not given him permission to use the check. Later, officers were informed the suspect was at a residence asleep on a couch. When officers arrived at the address, they were shown to the still-sleeping suspect. When the suspect woke up, he removed a case from his pocket and placed it on the couch. When officers inquired as to what was in the case, the 29-year old suspect said syringes. The man was placed under arrest and subsequently booked on charges of forgery and possession of drug paraphernalia.