Five arrested on suspicion of check scam
Posted on Sunday, October 12, 2008
Bradley
Fayetteville police arrested five suspects from Detroit after employees from Signature Bank in Fayetteville reported a suspected forgery scam in progress late Friday afternoon.
Four of those arrested - Ronald Avery Hardison, 57, Joseph Jamel Roseborough, 32, Dominque Lashal Watkins, 23, and Anthony Eisley Lipscomb, 21 - face four different likely felony charges. These include two counts of first-degree forgery, three counts of second-degree forgery, two counts of theft of property and conspiracy t commit fraud.
Barbara Ann Bradley, 23, was arrested on probable charges of both first- and seconddegree forgery and conspiracy to commit fraud.
The bonds were set at $ 25, 000 each. All of the suspects remained in the Washington County Detention Center late Saturday afternoon, apparently unable to make bond.
Roseborough is accused of conspiring with the four other suspects to commit fraud against the bank after transporting them from Detroit. He is accused of helping at least two others of cashing fraudulent business checks at Harps on Oct. 8 and 10, according to the arrest report.
Roseborough admitted to police that he knew the others were involved in a "check scam"before they left Detroit. He denied direct involvement.
Watkins and Hardison both admitted to police that they had each obtained fraudulent Arkansas ID cards with a Fort Smith address and had opened a savings account at Signature Bank.
Watkins admitted to depositing a fraudulent insurance check drawn on Regions Bank at the Springdale branch of Signature Bank on Oct. 8 with the intent of withdrawing the money later in the day, according to the police report.
Hardison admitted to depositing a fraudulent insurance check drawn on Regions Bank at the Siloam Spr ings branch of Signature Bank with the intent of withdrawing the money later in the day, according to the police report.
Suspicious bank employees contacted Regions Bank and learned that the checks were bogus, according to the report.
Bradley did not admit any wrongdoing, but police found an Arkansas identification in her possession with a Fayetteville address that police claim is fraudulent.
Lipscomb also admitted no wrongdoing. He told police that he was taking a trip with his cousins for no particular reason and that he knew nothing about the check scam.
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