Two Philadelphia men were arrested by Caernarvon Township police after Ephrata National Bank in Morgantown reported an attempt to cash a counterfeit check, investigators said
Robert R. Jones, 45, and Jonathan T. Bradley, 39, were taken into custody as they left the bank at 6296 Morgantown Road about 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, police said.
They were committed to Berks County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail and $75,000 bail, respectively, following arraignment before District Judge Kim L. Bagenstose in Reading Central Court.
The defendants are charged with criminal conspiracy in addition to access device fraud, theft by unlawful taking and theft by deception.
According to the court records:
Police were dispatched after the branch manager reported Bradley presented a check from Martin’s Ag Service, Lancaster County, that appeared to be made out to him for $1,643. The teller contacted a representative from Martin’s who confirmed the check was forged and not authorized to be drawn by Bradley.
While the teller stalled for police to arrive, Bradley kept approaching her, saying he needed to go while requesting she return his identification card.
Bradley was heard saying “we gotta go” to the male who was with him, later identified as Jones.
Officers arrived as the men were leaving the bank and took them into custody.
Another counterfeit check — this one made out for $1,577 to Jones — was found in Jones’ possession.
The bank confirmed both checks were altered after they were issued to others.
At least one of the checks was placed in the company’s outgoing mail by the curb.
Both suspects claimed a check was presented to them by Martin’s for landscaping work they did for the company. When police asked where the co-workers were, they said they had left but were to return.
Detective Sgt. Chad Eberly wrote in the arrest affidavits that the forged checks were likely fished from a stand-alone outgoing mailbox, such as those commonly found in front of a business park.
Ringleaders of such schemes view their accomplices as expendable and leave them behind at the financial institution if they see police arriving. Typically, he said, they’ll promise an accomplice a percentage of the money for each fraudulent check that is cashed.