A woman tried to deposit a $35,000 check at a Massachusetts bank, but a teller questioned the transaction and called the business named as the issuer.
The company said the check was fraudulent, according to police, setting off an investigation that led officers to a car outside a nearby supermarket.
Somerset police announced November 7 that three people had been arrested and a fourth issued a criminal summons following the October 28 incident.
Officers responded to Citizens Bank at 815 Grand Army Highway, according to the department’s announcement.
A Newly Opened Bank Account and a Waiting Volvo
Police said the Citizens Bank account targeted for the $35,000 deposit had been opened just one day earlier. The check was made payable to the woman attempting the deposit.
Detectives responded in unmarked vehicles while uniformed officers positioned themselves in nearby business parking lots. Police said they were alert to the possibility of accomplices waiting outside the bank.
From a nearby parking lot, detectives watched the woman walk through the Super Stop & Shop parking lot and enter a gray 2002 Volvo. Detectives and patrol officers then positioned their vehicles around the Volvo, preventing it from leaving.
Three Arrests Followed by Not-Guilty Pleas
The department’s October dispatch log identifies those arrested as Andre J. Cairo, 41; Rajheem Destine Chardonnette, 32; and Stasha Mercedes Medeiros, 27. Police identified Cairo and Chardonnette as Fall River residents and Medeiros as a Swansea resident in the announcement reported by Newport Dispatch.
The log lists conspiracy, uttering a false check and larceny by check over $1,200 for each arrested person. The department’s November 7 announcement instead listed attempting to commit a crime alongside uttering a false check and conspiracy, and said the fourth person faced the same accusations.
All three arrested defendants pleaded not guilty at their arraignments in Fall River District Court, according to Fall River Reporter’s account of court records. They were released, with pretrial hearings scheduled for December.
Massachusetts law defines the uttering offense as knowingly presenting a false, forged or altered instrument as genuine with the intent to injure or defraud. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
How Businesses Can Check for Unauthorized Payments
The American Bankers Association recommends discussing Positive Pay and other verification services with a business’s bank. Citizens explains that Positive Pay compares a check’s amount, check number and account number against the business’s record of issued checks to help identify unauthorized payments.
Companies should also monitor account activity and confirm that payments reach their intended recipients. If a business discovers check fraud, the ABA advises notifying its bank and local police promptly and considering an account-number change where feasible.