A man named Tristan Morgan was caught trying to cash a fraudulent check at a local bank.
On Nov. 10, around 10:15 am, Gallup Police Officer Darius Johnson was dispatched to the Pinnacle Bank at 107 E. Hill Ave. When he arrived at the scene, he met with the bank manager who said that Morgan, 23, walked into the bank on Nov. 6 around 4:45 pm.
According to the bank manager, Morgan gave a teller a check and said he wanted to cash it. But, as it turned out, the amount did not apply to that particular check. The bank confiscated the check.
According to Johnson’s report, the check looked as if it had been washed and written on. The bank manager determined that it had been forged.
After the check was confiscated, Morgan walked out of the business.
The bank manager said she did not call the police that day, but later decided she wanted to file a police report. After she had looked at the check, she concluded that it was not made out to Morgan, but was made out to Sun Loan, a personal loan company, instead.
The check was made out for over $800, and the “For” section had a different name written down.
The bank manager suggested that Morgan might have intercepted the mail or gotten into the mailbox at Sun Loan somehow. She said that Sun Loan was going to do a report on the original check, which was taken from Grants, New Mexico. The Grants Police would be looking into the situation.
Meanwhile, Morgan was charged with forgery. His first court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 12.
Staff Reports
