Trio charged in $15 million check fraud case

Fri, Feb 5, 2010    to del.icio.us

WYOMING — Police say David Franklin, Richard Douglas and Adina Martin managed to steal up to $15 million from area businesses.

Equipped with basic tools and a sinister plan, the suspects printed and cashed thousands of counterfeit payroll and personal checks.

"It doesn't take very much to get started at all — a computer, a printer, check program and special ink," Detective Helen Wu of the Grand Rapids Police Department told WZZM-TV. "They varied anywhere from $800 payroll checks to $200 payroll checks."

Police said at least 300 people were recruited, mainly from downtown Grand Rapids, and many of them were homeless. The volunteers would get paid a fee for cashing the checks at area banks and stores, police said.

Hundreds of local businesses were victims of the fraud, including the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, police said.

— From WZZM-TV