Police in Utah County have teamed up with the feds to hunt an Atlanta street gang suspected of using local homeless people to cash fraudulent checks.
Provo Sgt. Matt Siufanua said Wednesday that the gang members steal business checks "any way they can," including out of the mail. The gang members then recruit people from homeless shelters to cash those checks.
 |
Join the Discussion |
 |
Post a Comment |
The suspected organizers of the crime have been working along the Wasatch Front, Siufanua said, and have illegally cashed multiple checks in amounts from $2,500 to $5,000.
According the Siufanua, the homeless recruits are able to cash the checks because the gang members reprint them. The checks consequently look legitimate and include real bank information, Siufanua explained, but are actually fraudulent copies with false addresses obtained by homeless people.
Siufanua said the recruits have used homeless shelter addresses.
The homeless people involved in the scam get to keep roughly "a couple hundred dollars" of the stolen money, Siufanua said. He did not know if any homeless people had been arrested or charged for their role in the crimes.
Representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office were working with police in Orem and Provo to capture the gang members suspected of operating the scam.
Police were looking for two black men in their early to mid-20s. The men may be from Georgia and could be driving a four-door sedan that may be a rental.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to call police at 801-852-6211.
-
West Valley City Mayor Winder won’t seek re-election
Published May 22, 2013 08:30:15AM -
FBI: Man fatally shot in Boston bombing probe
Published May 22, 2013 08:00:02AM -
Official: Treasury played no role in IRS targeting
Published May 22, 2013 07:58:03AM -
Utah forecast: Warm and windy as weekend approaches
Published May 22, 2013 07:38:05AM
Twitter: @jimmycdii
Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
