Trio Busted in Fake Check Cashing Scheme at Greenwich Bank

A pair of men and a woman, who stashed the evidence in her underpants and in the pocket of a 5-year-old, are facing a numerous charges in connection with what Greenwich Police a fraudulent check cashing scheme that netted the suspects thousands of dollars.

A concerned citizen saw the two men acting suspiciously and withdrawing large amounts of money at the outdoor ATM machine at the Chase Bank office in the Glenville Shopping Center shortly before 4 p.m. Oct. 16, according to Lt. Kraig Gray. The unidentified citizen thought perhaps the men were skimming money from the machine, Gray said.

Gray said that the trio were depositing fraudulent checks and then withdrawing money from what turned out to be fraudulent bank accounts.

One of the suspects told police that he had just used the ATM and was going to drive back to Brooklyn, NY. The man had a learner’s permit and by law is required to have a licensed driver in the vehicle. But it turned out that neither the other man nor the woman passenger had licenses, according to a police report.

Police said the second man, identified as Angel Ingles, 23, misled police by giving them a different first name, according to the police report. When police arrested Ingles on a charge of interfering with police, they found a Chase checking account receipt.

In the meantime, the bank manager approached police with what was described as fraudulent checks that were discarded by the men, inside the bank, according to the police report. Police said that several additional fraudulent checks that were torn up, were found beneath a nearby parked car in the shopping center parking lot.

Police then arrested Michael O. Reid, 22, who police said had $314 cash in his possession.

Police said that their investigation revealed that the woman, identified as Vakeshia Wooling, 25, was aware of the scheme and was arrested. Wooling had $760 cash in her possession, and told police she had hidden 13 checks in her underpants and seven more in her left shoe. She also hid a debit card in the jacket pocket of a five-year-old child who was with them, police said.

In all, the trio had 27 fake checks in varying amounts totaling more than $4,000, according to the police report.

Each of the suspects was charged with risk of injury to a minor, identity theft, second-degree forgery, interfering with police, conspiracy and criminal attempt.

Reid was released after posting $25,000 bond, and Wooling after posting $10,000. Ingles was unable to post $25,000 bond.

Greenwich Police photos: from left, Vakeshia Wooling, Angel C. Ingles and Michael O. Reid.