PAINT TOWNSHIP, Pa. (EYT) — A Knox man has been accused of forging and passing checks on a closed bank account at two local businesses.
According to court documents, 20-year-old Brady Alan Reed, of Knox, faces four felony forgery charges and related offenses.
Officer Peck Begins Investigation on Brady Reed
According to a criminal complaint, on March 23 and March 24, Officer Peck conducted an investigation on Reed who was accused of passing and forging a check at the Country Fair Store in Paint Township, on a victim’s S&T Bank closed account.
The criminal complaint states that Officer Peck obtained the check involved, and the endorsement was not the victim’s signature. The last four digits of the phone number for the victim was crossed off the check, and a phone number was handwritten on the check, which is allegedly Reed’s number. Also, the driver’s license number written on the memo line of the check allegedly matches Reed’s Pa. driver’s license.
Officer Peck also obtained video footage of Reed allegedly passing the check at Country Fair, the complaint states.
Officer Peck Interviews Victim
A statement was also obtained from the victim, the complaint indicates.
According to the complaint, the victim said that she had several old books of checks in her bedroom, and she noticed a book was missing.
On the morning of March 23, the victim confronted Reed and asked if he took the book of checks. He allegedly denied this, the complaint indicates.
Then later that afternoon, Reed allegedly passed a check at Country Fair, and the victim was contacted by the manager of Country Fair, the complaint states.
The victim then filed a complaint at the Knox Borough Police Department, the complaint continues.
Officer Peck Interviews Reed
On March 27, Officer Peck interviewed Reed at the Clarion County DA’s office and read him the Miranda Rights. Reed allegedly signed the waiver form and agreed to an interview, according to the complaint.
During the interview, Reed allegedly confessed that he signed the victim’s name to the check at Country Fair and passed the check for a $150.00 gas card, the complaint indicates.
During the interview, Officer Peck confronted Reed on whether he wrote out any other checks on the victim’s account, according to the complaint.
Reed allegedly said, “No, that was the only one.” Officer Peck asked him several times if there were “any more checks that were going to come to light later,” the complaint states.
Officer Peck asked Reed if he “passed any checks at Tom’s Riverside.” Reed allegedly said, “No, that was the only one,” the complaint continues.
Reed Allegedly Passes Checks at Tom’s Riverside
On April 6, Officer Peck obtained information that Reed allegedly passed checks at Tom’s Riverside, and they were filed at District Court Turk’s office, the complaint states.
Officer Peck contacted the manager of Tom’s Riverside, and he said he had a check on the victim’s account that was returned to Riverside in the amount of $100.00 dated March 21, 2015, and it was returned marked “un locate account.” The manager said that a 10-day notice was sent to the victim, and he hadn’t received any information or contact in reference to the check since he sent the letter, according to the complaint.
The manager said that on April 2, an employee allegedly declined to take a check from Reed that was on the victim’s account, since the March 21 check was returned to the store, the complaint states.
This incident occurred after Officer Peck interviewed Reed, the complaint indicates.
Officer Peck Contacts Reed Again
On April 3, Officer Peck spoke briefly to Reed on the phone. He asked Reed if he wrote any more checks on the victim’s account, and Reed allegedly acted like he could not hear him, and them hung up on him. Reed then called Officer Peck directly back and again allegedly acted like he could not hear him and again hung up on him, according to the complaint.
On April 6, Officer Peck contacted the victim by phone. The victim said that she received notice from Tom’s Riverside and talked to Reed about that check, and he allegedly stated that he wrote that one, too, and forgot about it.
Reed Jailed; Awaiting Preliminary Hearing
Based on the information in Officer Peck’s investigation, Reed was arrested and will face the following charges:
– 2 counts of Forgery — Unauthorized Act In Writing, Felony 3
– 2 counts of Forgery — Utters Forged Writing, Felony 3
– 2 counts of Theft By Unlawful Taking-Movable Property, Misdemeanor 2
– 2 counts of Receiving Stolen Property, Misdemeanor 2
– one count of Bad Checks, Misdemeanor 3
Unable to Post Bail $5,000.00 monetary bail, he was confined to the Clarion County Jail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. on April 14.
