Franklin Felon Faces Forgery Charges After Concord Friend Lets Him Use Shower

CONCORD, NH — With friends like this, who needs enemies?

A felon from Franklin faces theft and forgery charges after a multi-month investigation into the theft of two checks from a home in the city.

The case began on Nov. 19, 2022, around 10:45 a.m., when a complainant met with an officer at police headquarters, accusing Clyde Earl Shatney, a friend, of stealing two checks from him. The man said Shatney was at his home on Oct. 12, 2022, to take a shower and then was supposed to leave, a report said. While the man was taking his shower, Shatney was still there and he could not keep an eye on him, a report said. His checkbook was left on a table, he said.

Fast forward a few days after the complainant discovered the missing checks. Later, the man accused Shatney of stealing the checks and forging his signature. The two checks were cashed for $500 and $1,000 on Oct. 12, 2022, at TD Bank on North Main Street.

On Jan. 24, a detective provided the officer with surveillance footage from the bank as part of a grand jury subpoena.

“Clyde can be seen walking up to the teller and presenting her with a check,” the officer wrote. “Clyde also presents a New Hampshire license or identification card, as well as his Social Security card.”

Five hours later, he was accused of returning to the bank to cash the second check.

A couple of months later, the officer learned Shatney was in prison for unrelated charges and had been since about two weeks after the checks were cashed, the report said. The officer met with him on March 24 to speak about the checks. Shatney told the officer he had spoken to the complainant and said he would “take care of it,” an affidavit said. When asked to elaborate, Shatney said, “I took two checks and cashed them, and when I talked to him a couple of days later, um, we agreed that I would take care of it,” the report said.

When shown the checks, Shatney confirmed those were the ones he took and admitted to forging the complainant’s name, the affidavit stated.

A warrant was issued for his arrest on March 30.

Shatney, 61, of Spring Street in Franklin, was arrested at 10:48 a.m. on May 13 on felony theft by unauthorized taking, $1,001 to $1,500, theft by unauthorized taking-less than $1,000, and two felony forgery charges.

According to the Merrimack County Superior Court, on May 15, he was arraigned on two felony forgery charges only.

Shatney is a sex offender due to sexual assault convictions in 2009 and a criminal history that dates back to the early 1980s.

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