Parker police Capt. Ron Combs said the men, whose names were not
released, allegedly began passing the checks April 9. A bank
notified Wal-Mart that the checks could be stolen.
Combs said the bank was in the process of finding out if the
checks were fraudulent when a loss prevention agent at Wal-Mart,
11101 S. Parker Road, recognized one of the men April 12.
Combs said the suspect was trying to buy an $891 television set,
which the other suspect tried to purchase on April 11.
Combs said the checks were similar to the ones the other suspect
tried to use the day before. Wal-Mart employees asked the suspect
for identification; he apparently left the store and did not come
back.
The police were called at approximately 4 p.m., April 12 while
Wal-Mart employees attempted to stall a suspect by asking for
various forms of identification. Combs said officers were unable to
get to the store before the men left.
The loss prevention agent apparently followed a suspect out of
the store, where he saw him get into a vehicle with the man who
tried to purchase the television April 11. The employee then
followed the men out of the parking lot in his vehicle. Combs said
the employee kept in contact with dispatchers until officers were
able to stop the suspects.
“He told us that he had just passed one of our squad cars. We
relayed the message to that officer who made the stop near Stage
Run and Dransfeldt Road,” Combs said.
Combs said officers searched the vehicle and found fraudulent
IDs, fake birth certificates, stolen checks, a device to make
fraudulent IDs and suspected methamphetamines. They also recovered
the television set the suspect purchased. Some of the checks were
allegedly stolen from Colorado Springs and Sheridan, Combs
said.
Combs said the men could face fraud-by-check charges and added
that purchases that are more than $500 constitute a felony. Other
possible charges include forgery, possession of equipment to make
forged documents and possession of a controlled
substance.
The suspects, however, were released pending charges. Combs said
the department must “backtrack” the alleged fraud case and possibly
do a handwriting analysis to verify the alleged forgery. The
suspected narcotics must also be tested in a lab to see if they are
methamphetamines.
Combs said the men are considered a flight risk and added that
his department is “trying to keep an eye on them the best we
can.”
Combs said the findings from his department’s investigation will
likely be sent to the 18th Judicial District Attorney by the end of
this week.