Beneath the mortarboard
December 27, 2017
Bayous take the biggest hit as system manages downturns
December 27, 2017
Terrebonne Parish detectives are still piecing together what they have described as a massive check forgery scheme that has victimized multiple local companies and involved various banks.
Four arrests have been made
Sheriff Jerry Larpenter said his detectives began looking into theft of checks from mailboxes of companies in October. The stolen checks, Larpenter said, were used to create more checks. Face values were altered, usually to around $2800 each, according to a statement Larpenter released.
“These checks were then cashed at multiple banks by suspects who were from New Orleans,” Larpenter said.
The investigation began to bear fruit on Dec. 15, when deputies arrested a suspect at a Houma bank who was attempting to cash a fraudulent check. He was identified as Stephen Ray Carpenter, 34, of 2420 St. Andrews St., New Orleans.
Carpenter was arrested for bank fraud, forgery and monetary instrument abuse. He remains in the Terrebonne Parish Jail on a $50,000.00 bond.
On Dec. 15 deputies apprehended a second suspect who was attempting to cash a check at a bank branch on West Park Avenue. The suspect was identified as Jay Alan Ainsworth, age 46, of 1803 Gravier St. New Orleans. Ainsworth was arrested for bank fraud, attempted theft, forgery and monetary instrument abuse. He remains in the Terrebonne Parish Jail on a $100,000.00 bond.
Then last Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 20, deputies were called to Synergy Bank on West Tunnel Boulevard where a suspect was attempting to cash a fraudulent check in the amount of $2800.
Algy Howard, 43, of 425 Highway Drive, New Orleans, was apprehended as he left the bank.
Detectives and deputies fanned out, checking parking lots in the vicinity, on the hunt for the vehicle Howard was to have met.
An SUV was located at a business near the bank, with two occupants that deputies allege were waiting to meet up with Howard, later identified as Shontielle White, 20, of 1936 N. Tonti St. New Orleans and Teaundre Brown, 30, of 307 Warren St., Atlanta. White was in the driver’s seat while Brown was seated in the back passenger seat. Detectives detected a strong odor of marijuana drifting out of the vehicle. A search warrant was obtained, and fraudulent checks along with marijuana were recovered.
The vehicle was towed to a TPSO building and the suspects were further questioned.
Howard was arrested for bank fraud, monetary instrument abuse, obstruction of justice, attempted theft, forgery and drug paraphernalia with no bond set. White was booked for bank fraud, seven counts attempted theft, seven counts forgery and seven counts of monetary instrument abuse with a $150,000.00 bond. Teundre Brown was booked for two counts of bank fraud, seven counts of attempted theft, seven counts of forgery and seven counts of monetary instrument abuse with a $200,000.00 bond.
Additional charges, Larpenter said, are expected.
