Three people have been arrested in an Oklahoma investigation involving fraudulent business checks connected to an Enid daycare, including the center’s director, one of its teachers and the director’s husband.
The Enid Police Department said Candice Mae Ritchie, 43, worked as the daycare director, while Barbara Ellen Laster, 69, was employed there as a teacher. Mark Allen Ritchie, 48, who police identified as Candice Ritchie’s husband, was also arrested.
Police connected $8,954 in losses to the complaints against Candice Ritchie, $16,710 to Laster’s case and $43,034 to Mark Ritchie’s charges.
Authorities have not publicly identified the daycare in the available report or explained when the checks were used, how the suspected activity was discovered or whether any of the money has been recovered. The complaints are accusations, and the allegations have not been proven in court.
Director and Teacher Face Bogus Check and Forgery Complaints
Candice Ritchie was arrested on 24 complaints of obtaining money by bogus check and 24 complaints of uttering a forged instrument. Police also listed an embezzlement complaint against her.
Laster faces 28 complaints of obtaining money by bogus check, 28 complaints of uttering a forged instrument and one embezzlement complaint.
Investigators said they believe the two women were acting without knowing what the other was doing. The available police account does not explain what evidence led them to that conclusion.
Mark Ritchie Faces 243 Complaints
Police listed 121 complaints of obtaining money by bogus check and another 121 complaints of uttering a forged instrument against Mark Ritchie. He also faces a theft from a building complaint.
The police report does not provide enough information to determine how many individual checks or transactions are represented by the paired bogus check and forgery counts.
Authorities also have not said whether Mark Ritchie worked at the daycare or explained how he allegedly obtained access to the business checks involved in his case.
Important Details About the Checks Have Not Been Released
The Enid Police Department’s initial account identifies the suspects, their relationship to the daycare, the complaints and the loss amounts associated with each case, but provides few details about how the alleged activity worked.
Police have not disclosed the dates or payees on the checks, the financial institutions where they were presented or the internal records that led investigators to the three suspects.
No court findings establishing that any of the checks were fraudulent had been announced when the arrests were reported.
Businesses Can Add Controls Around Paper Checks
Businesses that still rely on paper checks can reduce the amount of access any one employee has by separating responsibilities for preparing payments, approving them, signing checks and reconciling bank statements.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency describes Positive Pay as a service in which a business sends its bank a list of checks it has issued. Items presented for payment can then be compared with that information so unauthorized or mismatched checks can be flagged before they are paid.
The American Bankers Association reported in 2026 that 58% of businesses surveyed by the Association for Financial Professionals experienced check fraud in 2025. ABA recommends that businesses ask their financial institutions about Positive Pay and other account monitoring services.
Companies should also review account activity regularly and investigate unfamiliar checks, unexpected amounts or unexplained payees promptly. Copies of checks, bank statements, invoices, authorization records and related accounting documents should be preserved if suspected fraud is reported to a financial institution or law enforcement.