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Nine charged in scam against loan maker
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VALPARAISO, Ind. (STNG) - Nine people have been charged with felony theft charges for a scam that netted $4,450 from a Portage, Ind., loan maker.
The nine allegedly took $300 to $550 loans from Lending Hand Inc. at 6508 U.S. 6 from Nov. 25 to Dec. 18 using falsified documents and fake telephone numbers.
According to Porter County Jail officials, none of the suspects were in custody as of Tuesday.
All of them face up to three years in jail if convicted of the theft charge against each of them.
Those named were: Derrick W. Howard, 24, 2600 block of Madison Street in Gary; Charles D. Wilson Jr., 39, 500 block of Durbin Street in Gary; Latanza N. Powell, 35, 500 block of Durbin Street in Gary; Lori L. Johnson, 31, 2400 block of Roosevelt Street in Gary; LaDonna L. Harris, 35, 5500 block of Johnson Street in Merrillville; Orlando D. Smith, 25, 1500 block of Ohio Street in Gary; Chyna M. Chester, 20, 4300 block of Washington Street in Gary; Ashley C. Reed, 23, 1000 block of East 35th Court in Gary; Bianca Butler, 20, 700 block of Kentucky Street in Gary.
Police investigating the incidents found that seven of them used the same payroll check, with employer name, employee name, Social Security numbers and pay dates changed.
Most used Indiana identification cards, although Harris used an Indiana driver\'s license and Chester used an Illinois identification card, police said.
The employers were found not to exist, and checks left at the lender in case the loans weren\'t repaid were found to be on closed or nonexistent accounts.
One bank employee said that Johnson opened the account the same day she applied for the loan, Dec. 9, but the bank closed it because of a continuing negative balance.
The lender contacted police in January after the loans were past due.
Police were able to reach Reed, who said that Howard had contacted her about making money.
Because she was unemployed, she agreed and took the paperwork he gave her.
She kept $250 and gave Howard $250.
Butler also responded to police and said she intended to repay the loan, which she needed for a vehicle.
She was unemployed, she said.
She said she got the fake payroll check from a cousin but didn\'t know how her cousin got it.
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Copyright 2009 STNG Wire, The Chicago Sun-Times. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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