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Man arrested for allegedly issuing bad check to buy $6K watch in Old Town

A man was arrested last month after allegedly issuing a worthless check to buy a watch in Old Town valued at more than $6,600.

The 31-year-old suspect from Salem, Va., was arrested April 29 and charged with felony grand larceny. His arrest took place more than four months after he allegedly signed over a worthless check with his real name and address to buy a watch valued at $6,678 from a jewelry store on S. Fairfax Street in Old Town.

The suspect allegedly gave the store’s cashier a paper check with Navy Federal Credit Union’s logo on it, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit. According to court records, the suspect was previously incarcerated for passing bad checks in Virginia Beach and Williamsburg.

The Alexandria Police Department tried calling the suspect repeatedly. When the suspect called APD back and the investigating detective identified himself, the suspect “did not speak, immediately hung up, and subsequent calls from your affiant’s landline to [the suspect’s number] went directly to voicemail,” according to the affidavit.

The suspect’s arraignment is currently listed on the General District Court’s website for Thursday, Dec. 31.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.