SANTA ROSA COUNTY

SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Sheriff Wendell Hall

Sheriff's Office Investigators Requesting Public's Help in Identifying Suspects in Stolen Check Scam

Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Deputies are currently investigating a fraud case in which unknown suspects have been stealing, altering, and passing checks that have been stolen once mailed by the victims. The victims in the cases have written and mailed legitimate personal checks to different businesses to pay personal bills. At some stage of the mailing process, the bills have been intercepted by the suspects. The suspects then engaged in a process known as check “washing”, in which solvents are used to remove the ink that was written on the checks. The checks are then re-written by the suspects and passed to purchase merchandise. The checks have been passed at local Wal-Mart locations. Surveillance video has been retrieved which shows two suspects that are believed to be involved in the criminal activity. The Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in identifying the suspects in the photographs. No suspect/suspects have been identified and the Sheriff's Office is actively investigating the crime. Anyone with information concerning the crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 437-STOP. Anyone providing information that leads to an arrest is eligible for a cash reward of up to $1000.00. The photographs are attached to this email.

Press Release By:

Sgt. Scott Haines

Media Relations Unit

(850) 981-2136 or shaines@srso.net