Three Arrested in Check Forgery Case

By Bay City News Service:

Three people were arrested on suspicion of attempting to cash stolen checks in downtown Sausalito on Thursday, police said.

At about 5:50 p.m. on Thursday, Sausalito police were dispatched to the Wells Fargo Bank at 715 Bridgeway on a report of a woman trying to cash a fraudulent check.

The bank managed to keep the suspect inside the bank until officers arrived, police said.

Police arrived at the bank and contacted 18-year-old Vallejo resident Narell Myles who was, according to the bank manager, attempting to cash a check made out to her. The account the check was being drawn from, however, had been flagged as having fraudulent activity associated with it.

Moments before the incident inside the bank, officers stopped a silver sedan for an equipment violation. Officers learned the driver of the vehicle, 32-year-old San Francisco resident Lucion Banks, had an outstanding $1,500 traffic warrant out of Santa Cruz, police said.

The passenger in the vehicle initially gave police a false name, but was later identified as 31-year-old Berkeley resident Andwele Brinkley. He had three warrants issued for his arrest, including forgery out of Sonoma County, possession of stolen property out of Solano County and commercial burglary out of Monterey County, according to police.

Both occupants of the vehicle were arrested, police said.

When officers searched the vehicle, they found checks for the same account that Myles was attempting to cash at the bank concealed in the inner lining of the vehicles’ roof.

All three suspects were arrested for the felonies of making and passing fictitious checks as well as conspiracy and burglary. Banks also faces forgery charges, police said.