A Paragould, Arkansas, man is accused of depositing a forged $5,000 check into a bank account, then using the account for a sporting-goods purchase and cash withdrawals before the bank learned the check was fraudulent.
Jeffery Wood, 64, is being held on a $30,000 bond after Greene County District Court Judge Curtis Hitt found probable cause Monday to charge him with forgery and theft of property, according to KAIT.
Paragould police responded Feb. 9 to a forgery report at Southern Bank on West Kingshighway, the station reported.
Bank managers told officers Wood deposited a fraudulent check for $5,000 on Nov. 19, 2025, according to the affidavit cited by KAIT. Police said he then spent $357.65 at Hibbett Sports and withdrew $500.
The Bank Flagged The Check Days Later
The next day, Wood withdrew $3,600, according to court documents cited by the station.
The bank learned on Nov. 24 that the check was fraudulent, Corporal Tron Beesley said in the court documents.
A check deposit may appear usable before a bank finishes determining whether the check is legitimate.
The Federal Trade Commission warns that fake checks can look like personal checks, business checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, or electronically delivered checks. The agency also says banks may make deposited funds available before discovering that a check is fake.
The Arrest Came Months After The Deposit
KAIT reported that police arrested Wood on Monday, June 15, and booked him into the Greene County Detention Center.
The report did not say whether Wood had entered a plea. The charges remain allegations unless proven in court.
The case is narrow, but the money movement is what makes it useful for readers: a $5,000 deposit, a $357.65 retail purchase, a $500 withdrawal, and a $3,600 withdrawal before the bank flagged the check.
For consumers, the safer rule is to treat a check as unverified until the bank confirms it is valid. Seeing money appear in an account does not always mean the check behind it was good.