Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – A Jonesboro man is facing a felony charge after police said he orchestrated a fraudulent check scheme that resulted in the theft of nearly $10,000 from a local bank.
On June 26, Jonesboro police officers responded to the Southern Bancorp at 2508 East Highland Drive for a fraud complaint. They were informed that on June 24, a customer came through the drive-thru and cashed a fraudulent $9,500 check.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the money went into the customer’s account, and by the time staff realized it was fraudulent, it had already been transferred to the customer’s Apple Pay and sent to various accounts on June 25 and 26.
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Upon further investigation, video footage showed that 24-year-old Tyler Jawun Williams met with the customer, gave her the check already filled out, and said, “Don’t take no money out, just say you’re trying to deposit this into your account. Don’t take no money out,” then left.
In a Mirandized interview, the customer told police that on June 25, Williams knocked on her door and was there to get his half of the money she deposited. This was evident by several text messages exchanged between the two.
Williams was eventually arrested and booked into the Craighead County Detention Center on July 11, according to the roster.
On July 13, Williams appeared before District Judge David Boling, who found probable cause to charge Williams with one class C felony: second-degree forgery.
Williams is being held on a $50,000 cash/surety bond awaiting his next scheduled court appearance on Aug. 21. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.
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