A local man was arrested Wednesday, after attempting to cash a fraudulent check at Richwood Bank, on East Sandusky Avenue in Bellefontaine.
The suspect, identified as 51-year-old William Blair, of Bellefontaine, was apprehended following a report from bank staff who noticed suspicious activity.
According to police reports, Blair attempted to cash a check that had been altered.
Bank employees became suspicious when they noticed that the original amount of the check, written for $100, had been changed to $1,687.
The signature on the check also did not match the account holder’s.
Upon arrival, law enforcement officers spoke with bank management, who said they had contacted the account holder, who denied issuing the check.
Blair was asked to step into a side office for questioning. He initially claimed that a woman and her son had given him the check as payment for a car he sold. However, he struggled to provide details about the individuals involved, later mistakenly identifying one as “Andrew” before correcting himself to “Aaron.”
During the investigation, Blair expressed confusion about the check’s alterations and denied any involvement in the fraud. When asked about the circumstances surrounding the check, he indicated that he had received it from someone he had met at a campground.
He was placed under arrest for attempting to cash the check and transported to the Logan County Jail.
