Copy Plus in Harbor Springs fell victim to a check forging scheme from what police believe to be a Genesee Co. group.
/ upnorthlive.com photo
EMMET CO. -- Three people were arrested for attempting to cash forged checks.
On Tuesday, Copy Plus in Harbor Springs got a phone call from the First Community Bank saying that someone had attempted to cash a $2200 check from the business.
Bank employees say the man said he was an employee at the store.
The owner, Harold Jones, immediately went to the bank where he and a bank employee confronted the man who was trying to cash the check. After seeing a police car drive by, the suspect drove away. There were 2 other people in the car with him.
The suspects then drove to the Petoskey First Community Bank to attempt to cash a similar check worth $1800. The Petoskey Police Department surrounded the building and arrested the three people.
An investigation revealed that the group had already cashed one of the forged checks, valued at $1800 in Grand Rapids. Police believe the individuals stole personal information like bank routing numbers and account numbers to create checks.
Petoskey Detective Schultz says the suspects are from Genesee County, near Flint, and are in their "late 20's or early 30's."
Schultz says police are taking this investigation very seriously because it is very similar to a scheme that happened at the same banks a few months ago.
Police believe there is a downstate group that are posing as employees and trying to scheme small northern Michigan businesses.
Names have not been released yet. They are currently being held in the Emmet Co. jail.
