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Maryland man allegedly tried to pass forged $11K check at Del Ray bank, police say

A Maryland man faces felony and misdemeanor charges in court this month for allegedly possessing and trying to deposit a forged check at a bank in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood.

The suspect was arrested at the bank in the unit block of Herbert Street on June 16 after the alleged attempt to deposit a check for $11,585 into a friend’s account, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.

A teller at the bank told the Alexandria Police Department that he or she contacted the account holder business listed on the check, a Maryland-based distributor of wastewater equipment. A company comptroller told the teller that the amount of the check was correct, but the payee information was changed from the actual check, according to the affidavit. The comptroller said that the original check was made out to a company in West Seneca, N.Y.

When the teller asked the suspect for his identification, the suspect allegedly refused and said he was only depositing the funds.

An APD patrol officer approached the suspect just as he exited the bank around 2 p.m. The suspect showed the officer his ID, and said that he was depositing a check for his brother, a man living in Colonial Beach. The suspect then changed his story — telling police the man he was depositing the check for wasn’t his brother, but a close friend, according to the affidavit.

The suspect was charged with felony forgery and possessing a forged bank note. He was released on recognizance and failed to appear at his arraignment on June 26, according to court records. The suspect now has a preliminary hearing scheduled for July 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.