YARMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - Three men are facing charges for allegedly cashing $70,000 fake in checks against the account of a Yarmouth contractor in July, police said.
Police investigating a series of counterfeit checks cashed against the builder’s account allegedly found numerous homeless people cashing the checks as a way to hide organizers of the scheme, officials said. Yarmouth police and investigators with the United States Postal Service investigating a similar scheme began surveillance on suspects on July 26 and allegedly followed a van travelling through Yarmouth, where the occupants tried to cash several counterfeit checks at local businesses, officials said.
Police arrested one man and allegedly found a counterfeit check on him, officials said, and arrested the two other men in the van. After obtaining a warrant and searching the van, they allegedly found proceeds from the check-cashing scheme, police said.
Officials said the total known losses to Cape Cod banks through the scheme is $70,000. The investigation remains ongoing. Arraigned in Barnstable District Court held on bail
Robert Barnhill, 55, Boston, was charged with conspiracy, uttering a false document and attempt to commit a crime; Rodriquez M. Fillmore, 29, Atlanta, was charged with conspiracy, receiving more than $1,200 in stolen property, larceny of more than $1,200, larceny of more than $1,200 by a single scheme and forging a check; and John Callines, 28, Douglasville, Georgia, was charged with conspiracy, receiving more than $1,200 in stolen property, larceny of more than $1,200 and larceny of more than $1,200 by a single scheme.
The three men were held on bail and arraigned Monday in Barnstable District Court.
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