A Collier County man was arrested on Monday after being accused of depositing counterfeit checks into his bank account and withdrawing the funds before the checks were flagged as fraudulent.
Video above: March 18 headlines
According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office arrest report, James Fales, 64, was linked to a check fraud scheme involving Suncoast Credit Union.
Investigators said Fales deposited multiple checks made out to himself at the bank’s ATM on Pine Ridge Road and Vanderbilt Beach Road between Aug. 14 and Aug. 19, 2024.
The checks, drawn from an account at JP Morgan Chase Bank, were later returned as forgeries.
Surveillance footage from the bank’s security system captured Fales making the deposits and withdrawing funds. Bank investigators determined that Fales had no account with JP Morgan Chase and had intentionally passed the fraudulent checks to get money from the credit union, according to the report.
Deputies said Fales used the money on various transactions, including debit purchases, PayPal and Cash App transfers, and cash withdrawals.
When confronted by Suncoast Credit Union, Fales allegedly claimed he was transferring funds between accounts but made no effort to resolve the overdrawn balance.
Fales is facing multiple felony charges, including grand theft and passing counterfeit bills.
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