Man Fraudulently Altered, Cashed Business Checks: Fairfield PD

FAIRFIELD, CT — A Bridgeport man is accused of fraudulently altering and cashing more than $1,700 in checks from a Fairfield business, according to police.

Jonmichael R. Young, 41, was arrested Dec. 19 on a warrant following a lengthy investigation, according to Lt. Antonio Granata.

A Fairfield business owner reported to police on May 20, 2019, that five of his business checks had been fraudulently altered and cashed. The business owner told police he mailed five business checks payable to various companies earlier that month.

People’s Bank contacted him on May 20, 2019, to let him know that the checks were fraudulently altered and cashed at several of the bank’s locations, according to Granata.

Granata said detectives worked with People’s Bank fraud investigators and found a loss of $4,350.55 occurred on May 20 when five counterfeit checks were negotiated by multiple people at several locations. Each check was made payable in the same amount of $870, according to Granata.

Detectives found that two of the five fraudulent checks were made payable to JonMichael Young, Granata said.

Young cashed one of the $870 checks at the People’s United Bank branch on the Post Road in Milford on May 20, according to Granata. While at the bank, Young produced the fraudulently altered check made payable and endorsed to himself, Granata said.

That same day, Young went to the People’s United Branch on Dixwell Avenue in Hamden and cashed a second check made payable and endorsed to him for $870, according to Granata. Young showed his Connecticut driver’s license during both transactions, Granata said.

Young was charged with second-degree forgery and fifth-degree larceny. He was being held in lieu of a $50,000 bond with a court date of Jan. 28, according to state judicial records.