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No question about it. This issue’s SFT column recognition belongs to William Angus Barter of Oregon.
Police cited Barter for forgery in March and then released him. Barter’s girlfriend was picked up at the same time, on unrelated charges, and also released. When she was taken into custody, she had $4.10 in her pocket—so when she was let go, a check for that amount was issued to her from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Jail Division, Inmate Trust Account.
By the time Barter was finished with it, the Inmate Trust Account check was made out to him (Barter) for the amount of $1,145.23. He took the altered check to a Beaverton US Bank to cash it; but when the teller left her window to verify the check, Barter got spooked and ran out the door—leaving his identification behind.
In a month’s time Barter has replaced his drivers license 11 times—and continues to abandon it all over the place, any time a teller shows the least amount of hesitation when Barter approaches the window with yet another bogus check.
The fraud expert from the Beaverton police department isn’t surprised anyone would question Barter. As he describes the suspect, “He hasn’t taken a shower or brushed his teeth in months….”
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