By ERIN MATHEWS

Salina Journal

The Saline County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in identifying several men who stole checks from three Salina businesses and forged and cashed them for a total of more than $40,000.

The checks were cashed at area banks and other businesses by Hispanic men who might have been working together, Saline County Sheriff Glen Kochanowski said Wednesday.

Total loss reported so far is more than $40,400. The men are believed to have more checks in their possession, Kochanowski said.

Eighty-two checks were stolen from Bamford Fire Sprinkler Co., 1383 W. North; 100 checks from Stevens Contractors, 422 E. Avenue A; and 24 checks were taken from Lee Haworth Construction Co., 348 E. Avenue A. So far, checks worth $23,227.62 have been forged on the Lee Haworth account; checks worth $16,336.37 have been forged on the Stevens Contractors account, and checks worth $900.80 have been forged on the Bamford Fire Sprinkler account.

The checks were cashed at Sunflower Bank branches, Bennington State Bank branches and Speedy Cash in Salina. Checks also were cashed in Ellsworth, Abilene and McPherson.

The checks are believed to have been stolen between June 15 and June 22. The burglaries were reported to law enforcement on June 23.

The sheriff's office is requesting assistance from the public in identifying the men who passed the forged checks. Kochanowski asks that anyone with information about the identity of any of the men call the sheriff's office, 826-6500, or Crimestoppers, 825-TIPS.

Kochanowski said the sheriff's office is working with state and federal agencies to determine if the men have committed similar crimes in other locations.

Kathy Heinrich, executive assistant at Bamford Fire Sprinkler Co., said that when she came to work on June 17, she noticed the lock on the door to her office was broken, but she couldn't tell that anyone had been in her office. Everything seemed to be in its proper place, she said.

"They were really meticulous in my room," she said. "Where I keep the checks, everything was put back right where it was."

Then another employee noticed flies were getting into her office and found that her office window was off its hinges. Shortly after that, employees discovered the deadbolt on the back shop door had been forced. She said they knew someone had broken into the business, but it was still a few days before they realized what had been taken.

Someone from an Ellsworth grocery store called the company June 22 inquiring about two checks written on the company's accounts that had been cashed at the store. The checks, which turned out to be forgeries, had been stolen from the middle of a stack that had been in the company office.

She said the day before the break-in, two Hispanic men had come in and asked for job applications. She said they were in and out in less than 30 seconds, and she now suspects they were getting the layout of the office or checking for security cameras.

She said the forged checks were signed with her name, although the signature did not resemble hers.

Heinrich said she would encourage any business or bank being asked to cash a Bamford Sprinkler payroll check to call Bamford at 825-7710 or UMB Bank to confirm that the check is legitimate before cashing it.

Christine Robl, co-owner of Stevens Contractors, encouraged anyone presented with a payroll check on her business to call her at 827-4458 or Bennington State Bank.

Robl said Stevens Contractors had no idea there had been a break-in until the company received a call from an Ellsworth grocery store about a check that had been cashed there. She said someone must have been able to pick the locks and leave no trace of having been in the office. The checks that were stolen were taken from the middle of her stack of checks and had not been missed.

"There was nothing out of place," she said. "We had nothing missing. They either thought this out very well, or they've done this before."

She said she remembers two Hispanic men coming in for job applications, but she said that would not have been uncommon and may not be related to the check thefts.

"We're in the construction business; we have a lot of people come in and ask for applications that don't come back," she said.

The thefts did not occur during business hours, she said, because she never leaves her office unattended -- especially if someone is in the office applying for a job.

She said the forged checks bore a fair imitation of her signature, and they were made out to four different names. The dollar amounts were different, and addresses changed according to where they were being cashed. They were typed and had an appearance very similar to the legitimate checks she prepares, although they bore the wrong date and showed a two-week pay period instead of one week.

She said checks for two different business accounts were stolen from two different locations, and she thinks the thief also took the time to look through her files to determine what the check should look like.

She said other businesses may have been burglarized and not yet realize it. She encouraged all business owners to look through their checks and make sure there are none missing.

Bob Haworth, president of Lee Haworth Construction, said that as far as he knows all of the checks forged on his business account were cashed at his bank.

He realized his business had been burglarized after he was notified by his bank that his business account was overdrawn. He then noticed some pry marks on the door. He said sheriff's deputies told him that people who commit break-ins for a living use a special tool that can pop a door open without leaving evidence.

He said the thieves were apparently inside the business for a period of time because they used a machine he used to print the dollar amounts on the checks, and they knew that his name was the one that should appear on the checks.

He said the south industrial area where the business is located is fairly secluded. The break-in prompted him to take action, and a new security system is now in place.

"Hopefully, they will get caught," he said.

n Reporter Erin Mathews can be reached at 822-1415 or by e-mail at emathews@salina.com.

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says....
It would help if there was a link to the pics or at least don't cover up the faces with words on the home page if thats the only way to look at them!!!
7/2/2009

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