FAYETTEVILLE -- Eight people from Georgia who police say enlisted homeless people to cash forged checks were arraigned Wednesday in Washington County Circuit Court.
Banks across Northwest Arkansas reported hundreds of forged checks totaling roughly $100,000 since last summer, according to police reports.
All eight pleaded not guilty to charges of engaging in a continuing criminal gang, organization or enterprise; second-degree forgery; and criminal possession of a forgery device.
Those arraigned and given a court date of July 12 before Circuit Judge Joanna Taylor are: Anquan Moss, 19, 1475 Greenwillow Drive, Forest City, Ga.; Demertric Favors, 23, of 4539 Old Cusseta Road in Columbus, Ga.; Marvin Jenkins, 40, of 1917 Lathrop St. SE in Atlanta; and Renaldo Churn, 30, of 6892 Stephens Drive in Rex, Ga.
Those arraigned and given a court date of June 2 before Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay are: Travis Martin Jr., 19, of 172 Park Drive, Decatur, Ga.; Qwontayvious Reed, 21, of 445 Gift Ave. in Atlanta; Dimitrius Roberts, 21, of 12 Gould St. in Atlanta; and Shatara Reed-Evans, 35, of 2000 Akron Drive in Atlanta.
Moss and Martin were arrested near Walker Park in Fayetteville on March 11 after a caller told police the men had tried before to recruit him to cash checks for them, according to police.
Police said Moss and Martin would acquire personal information from homeless people, contact another person to create the fake checks and then drive the homeless person to various banks in the area to cash them. The homeless person was paid a percentage of the cashed check, according to police.
Police said a separate traffic stop the same day yielded the six additional arrests.
Police stopped a gray Buick Enclave on North College Avenue in Fayetteville with six people inside and found a printer, computer and cellphones -- all items used to manufacture forged checks, according to police.
Moss and Jenkins remain in the Washington County Detention Center while the other six defendants have been released on bond.
NW News on 04/14/2016