On July 3rd, 2021, officers were dispatched in response to a report of a man attempting to cash a fraudulent check. >> How you doing, sir? >> I got my ID. >> The reason why I'm talking to you right now is supposed to be a stolen check. Force check. >> I ain't I ain't stole no check no check. You have any weapons on you? Do I get what I did? Ask him for my ID. But I ain't done nothing wrong, man. You looking at me like I'm want to buy her, man. Why my car? Sort out. Okay. I ain't done nothing wrong, sir. Like I said, I'm not saying you did. I'm going to sort it out. Okay. That's why you're not in handcuffs right now. I have to sit in my car and everything. I'll find out what's going on. As long as everything's cool, I'll get you out of here. Okay. >> My phone, bro. I'm going to leave. I have seen cut the arm for you. Okay. >> How you doing? >> How's it going? >> I called this company and I talked to the manager. He ain't even an employee. If you look at this check, this check is not written. This I talked to the guy who signs this check. This check is written by a different person who signed it. >> Oh, this check. I sent him a copy of his license and check. He said he's not employed. And I can show you the text where he takes it back. That is not his check. Show me in Texas. This right here where I sent the um a thing to the gentleman. Excuse me. I'm sorry. You walk inside. It's a little bit brighter. But you see this not one of our employees. That's not a legal check. It say place is on the way. >> Okay. And who is this exactly? See all the name of the company. I didn't give his name, but if you call, he knows he going to call. That's his cell phone. This right here is his cell phone that works for the um cuz I asked him to give me a cell phone number and I would send him the the uh but he he he said he he's the one that signed the check. I sent him a picture of the check. And you can look at that and tell that the same guy who signed it didn't write that check. My my daughter's 13 years old. She could have wrote that thing by her name. Do you have your uh ID with you, sir? >> Uh yeah, I got to give get out my truck. Go go go. >> Hey, this is Officer Cool. This man Police Department. Uh I'm over here at uh Joe's Lumber Store on West Bay Street. Were you contacted about a uh possible forge check over here? >> Okay. So, three three checks were stolen out of your checkbook. >> Okay. When when were these checks stolen? Did you Did you do a poison? >> If I'm not mistaken, the guy who brought him over here left him high and dry. >> Okay. The checks were stolen out of the middle of the book. Is that correct? That's not not fraudulent. Well, it's forged, but it's stolen. Correct. Okay. Okay. Stolen check. Okay. Um, this is this is the best number to reach you at, sir. Okay. Uh, are you actually at the business right now? >> All right. Um, after I get done dealing with this over here, I'm probably going to have to come over and talk to you. Okay. All right, sir. I'll uh I'll give you a call while I'm on the way. Okay. Appreciate your help. Yep. Thank you. >> I got to lock in. >> So, uh, I just talked to the manager of this company. Apparently, this check, the one in front of it and the one behind it were stolen out of, uh, out of the checkbook, uh, sometime between the first and the second. So, this guy's not an employee and everything like that. These are stolen texts. They just realized it when this guy called them because of the the amount um that the check is written for. So forgery uh forgery and uh still that by the rece may be used against you uh may be used in court as evidence against you. You are entitled to have a lawyer now and have him present now or at any time during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer will be appointed for you without cost, you may be present at all times during your question. Do you understand these rights that I read to you? >> Yes or no, sir? >> Yes. Yes, sir. >> Do you wish to talk to us at this time without lawyer? >> I ain't got nothing to say. Um I don't even know what I'm going to jail for. Right now you're going to jail for death by receiving stolen property. >> Yep. >> Oh my god, man. >> I'm trying to fix some sort of stuff. >> I understand. I'm not trying to do anything. And I got my phone back in my pocket. You can get when you get the joke. >> He's logged in too, right? Yeah. >> You just get a statement from him. >> How you doing, man? >> What? >> Can you explain to me what happened? >> The guy walks in and he uh the check just the first thing they do say, "Where do you work at?" I work at the shrimp factory. That ain't even the shrimp factory. That that's just a sign. I got looking at checks. He don't know what where he works. He says he only worked three days, three or this is, you know, first check, a $1,300 check. I'm in the wrong business. You know what I'm saying? That was just the first red flag. So, I called down and talked to the guy and basically that's he I asked him for. >> So, you called the one you called the owner of the check from the check, right? >> Yeah. And um I looked it up online and called down there and called the actual business and took, you know, the business number and he gave me a cell number where I can send him a picture. He text me right back said cuz I don't do the cell phone thing. I called the actual business. You know what I'm saying? The business phone and he gave me his cell phone and then I Yeah. Yeah. >> So you sent him you sent him a picture of it >> with his license and thing that to start with when I gave him his name. He had an employee register. He wasn't on that. He's like So I said, "Well, give me your cell number. Let me send you a picture of the check and his ID." I said it back. It was 30 seconds later. He said, "Man, that's not legit." I showed you the text and that's all we asked. >> He walks in and said he works at a shrimp factory. the shrimp factory >> for three days. >> Well, I mean, he he I'm not sure about the three day thing, but regardless, he he don't he doesn't know where he I think it's the shrimp factory. Look, you hire me. I knew where the I work. You know what I'm saying? And he he stood there for a few minutes and there's a guy kept standing here and cuz I got cameras standing here and he kept standing here, standing here. Think he left him high and dry. So, I think he somebody put him up to doing it or whatever, but he ain't got a clue where he what he did. He's in the wrong place. We We do not play that. I mean, I'm good about catching that ass. >> I got you, man. All right, sir. Here you go. Um, we're going to take him out of your area, man. >> Appreciate it. >> Putting on Big Bubba. I don't You try I can't I can't handle you trying to get my money, man. I'm like Big Bubba. That's your money. That's my emotions. >> I got you. >> Hey, y'all want a water or something? >> No, we're good. Thank you very much. >> Hey, y'all ever been in there and need a clean bathroom or water or something? Y'all stop here. See me anytime. >> All right, man. I appreciate y'all right there as much as y'all want to. >> Yes, sir. Thank you very much. Guy walks in, passes him the check, he realizes he asked the first question he asked. He's like, "Where do you work at?" He said he works at shrimp factory. He thinks he works at a shrimp factory which caused a red flag for him. So, he calls him the the company and he spoke to a person he did not get a name of and they pulled him an employee sheet. He wasn't on there. So, he sent the picture of the check and his ID to the person's number. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. >> So, he sends a picture to the person he was talking to through text and within 30 seconds he told him that that's not our employee. >> How much is it? 1,200 126535. >> So, it's $1,500 or less. Okay. So, person alter 16 or yeah 1691 third degree forgery. That's first degree, isn't it? Did he have the police report for the the stolen property on one? >> No. Apparently, they just realized Oh. >> When this guy called over there cuz it was a brand new checkbook that they haven't uh done anything with. Can you run over to uh 48 Whitaker and get a statement? >> This is good. You're looking for ahead. Okay. How are you? >> How you doing, sir? >> Yes, sir. >> All right. So, uh get check all this stuff. >> We have an office we can go to. >> Oh, yeah. >> It was just a little bit strange, but a gentleman called me about all that going on. And I'll put my chip up. And you can see where 84 85 86 and then ripped out the middle. All the stuff is gone. So 86. So >> 12 >> 12 386. Two. >> So well just have they have seven to nine. They have seven to nine. So eight 1 2 3 8 7 8 and 8 9. >> 87 and 89. >> Yeah. Yeah. So no 86. Just 86. 87 88 and 89. It's it is what he got car with. >> Okay. So, um where do you normally leave your checkbook at? >> Um normally we leave it in the in our stairwell like you know it's outside of side of the mile. We have one person in the morning that comes in here and does our um intake of um of um of groceries of booze all that good stuff you know. So he comes in do all that. So every once in a while left on the bar but again nobody's the doors are locked so nobody's in here unless somebody he's following the employees in or whatever whatot. So I have no idea who that guy is. Never seen before in my life. Hey, I'm Brian. >> Do you have video or >> silver? So, do you think it could possibly be one of your employees? >> Unfortunately, I might be leaning towards that as a morning person in the morning time. Probably took it off cuz they would I mean >> the checkbook is something that all would know about. So, it's either follow either know somebody that works here or he's very bald. >> Okay. Um yeah, you haven't had any like type of burglary where somebody breaks in. All your doors are locked and all All every night doors are locked. All that good stuff. >> The stereo that we just walked in. That door is locked. >> Door is locked. The door is locked. When we leave here in the morning time, the bartenders will leave here at night. The last people leave the bar, the bartenders, and that door is locked. Okay. >> So, it has to be somebody. Yeah. I mean, close outside doors on the outside door. >> They're all locked. So, when the morning person comes in, they come in to the front, but that door, nobody would know to come through that front door. >> Everyone has access to go through this door when the business is open, right? >> Um, no. Yeah. But we will see coming up. We'll see coming up and and that check it guarantees some one of our new employees. Sorry. if if it because we have we've been doing this for four or five years now. I've been working here and it's the first time ever happen. >> I got you. Yeah. >> Um so eventually uh a detective will probably check and follow up on that course. Uh just to review camera footage cuz if you have to leave it on the stairwell ledge, uh you'll have sight of who come who opens that door. Is there a camera there? >> There's no cameras. I'm saying cameras. That's the problem. We don't have a camera. >> No cameras. Okay. >> No cameras. >> Um >> that's that's what I want to change. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. and probably leave your checkbook. >> No, we just after the today we're putting it in the safe every night when they need it. I'll be here. Bar manager will be here. We have access to it. So, we'll be sh So, one of us will always be here to to open it up for them. >> Okay. I got you. Do you have ID on you? >> Um I do, sir. >> I show you in my upstairs backpack. >> You have a good one. Stay safe. >> Okay, sir. >> Especially today, sir. Do you have anything that would be considered contraband inside your pockets? Yeah. No lighters, no cracks, no nothing like that. >> I don't see where light in my car is. >> Where your car keys at? >> The man was charged with forgery and theft by receiving stolen property.