MANKATO (TEC News) -- Thirteen people have been charged for forging and cashing payroll checks at grocery stores in Mankato, New Ulm and across the region.The value of the fake payroll checks cashed between June and August 2010 was $8,300.
All thirteen people were charged with Possession or Sale of Stolen or Counterfeit Check, Check Forgery-Make or Alter a Check, Check Forgery-Falsely Endorse, and Check Forgery-Offer/Possess w/Intent to Defraud.
Each count is a felony and they are scheduled to make their first appearances in court on February 9th.
Charges have been filed against the following people:
Lucretia May Braesicke, 31; Bobby Lidell Brown, 44; Shannon Ladonna Johnson, 31; Bradley Michael Marek, 28; Bethany Jean Peterson, 37; Joseph Dean Pongratz, 36; and Daniel Abraham Reb, 30; all of Mankato.
Jennifer Marie Klumper, 32; Jessica Diane Lowe, 26; and Laura Marie Nusser, 31; all of St. Peter.
Amanda Marie Davis, 26 of Elmore; Jerry Curtis Carlson, 34 of Woodbury; and Rogan Andrew McClenahan, 20 of Madison.
The checks were cashed at Hy-Vee stores in Mankato, Faribault and Marshall, the Cash Wise grocery store in New Ulm and Diamond Jo Casino in Iowa.
The people cashing the forged checks were required to show identification. Through those IDs, investigators were able to track people down and link the various transactions together.
Laura Nusser told police back on August 31, 2010 that she was looking for a way to get money to bail her brother out of jail. She says a Shakopee man told her to open accounts and he would print out checks for her. The man gave checks to other people to cash. In exchange he'd receive some of the cash back.
According to investigators, the checks use some real and some fake business names. At no time was there ever money in any of the accounts.