Man Cashed $2,000 in Bad Checks at Palmer, Forks Banks, Police Say

Written by Jack Tobias

A College Hill man has been arraigned on charges of passing bad checks, sent to county prison, and about 12 hours later was arraigned again on another set of bad check charges.

At the second arraignment, Randy R. Ross, 37, of 594 Pardee St. also was charged with having 30 empty heroin packets, some with heroin residue, court records say.

Ross is accused of cashing a total of about $2,000 in bad checks at National Penn Bank branches in Forks and Palmer townships. The account on which the checks were drawn contained insufficient funds and appear to be linked to Ross’ mother, the records say.

Ross may have passed even more bad checks. Palmer Township Det. James Alercia notes in a criminal complaint that he was assisting “in a case involving Ross cashing fraudulent checks at numerous National Penn” branches.

Paperwork for one of the arraignments says Ross had three firearms – a shotgun, a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson, and a “32 Beretta,” an apparent reference to a Beretta pistol.

He told authorities one weapon is missing – which one is not specified -- but that he never reported the incident to police.

The arraignment paperwork also says Ross “should not be able to own any firearms.”

In the Forks charges, Ross is accused of cashing five checks totaling $1,225 from May 19 through May 29 at the National Penn Bank, 301 Town Center Blvd. The account was from the Lehigh Valley Federal Credit Union, court records say.

In the Palmer charges, Ross is accused of cashing two checks totaling $770 at another National Penn branch at 741 S. 25th St. The account also was from the Lehigh Valley Federal Credit Union. He allegedly cashed the checks May 28 and May 29.

The Palmer charges specify that the account belongs to his mother. The Forks charges do not specify that the account is that of his mother, but it provides his mother’s name without identifying her relationship to Ross.

Ross was charged with having the empty heroin packets as part of the Palmer investigation. Police stopped him on the night of June 23 as he drove a silver 2009 Volkswagen Jetta on the 2700 block of Freemansburg Avenue, the records say.

The packets were in the trunk of the car, the records say.

The day before – June 22 – Forks Officer Michael C. Friel spoke to Ross, according to a criminal complaint Friel filed. The complaint also notes that National Penn Bank sent Ross five notices saying the account on which the checks were drawn contained insufficient funds.

According to Friel, Ross said: “I cashed the checks but have not cashed any more” after receiving the insufficient funds notices.

In the Forks case, Ross is charged with one count of bad checks. In the Palmer case – in addition to the drug paraphernalia count – he is charged with two counts each of bad checks, receiving stolen property and theft by deception.

In the Forks case, bail was set Tuesday at $8,000 by on-duty District Judge Robert Hawke of Lehigh Township. In the Palmer case, District Judge Jackie Taschner of Palmer set bail at $25,000.