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Fairbanks man arrested again after trying to buy 4th truck with forged check
by Chris Freiberg / cfreiberg@newsminer.com
16 hrs ago | 4212 views | 36 36 comments | 6 6 recommendations | email to a friend | print
FAIRBANKS — A Fairbanks man is accused of trying to purchase a $28,000 pickup truck with a forged check for the
fourth time this year.
Jonathon Michael Smith, 22, was arraigned Tuesday on new felony charges of attempted first-degree theft and second-
degree forgery.
He still faces more than a dozen other charges stemming from the previous incidents, and had been out on bail for only
about two weeks when he allegedly tried to pull the scam Monday at Seekins Ford.
Smith reportedly told a Seekins employee that he had recently come into a large sum of money, and he intended to
purchase a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck.
However, the manager became suspicious of the check from USAA and accompanying letter stating the check was valid,
and contacted another local dealership that was allegedly swindled by Smith.
USAA is a financial services company serving military members and their families.
Smith was a Fort Wainwright soldier who was discharged in January following his initial arrest. He was AWOL from his
unit for two years, said Maj. Bill Coppernoll, a spokesman for U.S. Army Alaska.
Fairbanks police Officer Jim O’Malley responded to the dealership soon after the manager became aware that
something was amiss. O’Malley was aware of Smith’s history and asked him what he was doing.
Smith said that he was “being stupid,” according to a criminal complaint filed in court.
Magistrate Bethany Harbison set Smith’s bail at $20,000. If he is released from jail, he is not allowed on the premises of
a car dealership and he cannot possess checks or items purported to be checks.
Smith allegedly used forged checks to purchase two trucks worth $70,000 from Kendall Honda in January. About the
same time, he also tried to purchase a $25,000 truck from Gene’s Chrysler, but employees became suspicious of the
checks Smith wrote and refused to deliver the vehicle.
To create the checks, Smith allegedly altered a USAA check another man posted on his blog after removing the account
and routing numbers. He would print the altered check from e-mails and try to pass them as real to the employees of
local car dealerships, court documents allege.
All of the forged checks had blurry printing, inconsistent fonts and lacked routing numbers, according to court records.
In January, he told police he did not know why the checks had not been honored since he had money market and
mutual fund accounts with USAA. He also claimed to have received an inheritance recently from his mother after she
passed away.
A USAA representative told Fairbanks police that Smith has a checking account with them with a zero balance, as well
as an overdrawn credit card.
The company does not e-mail checks to customers, according to court filings.
At his arraignment Tuesday, Smith said he plans to hire his own lawyer.
by Chris Freiberg / cfreiberg@newsminer.com
16 hrs ago | 4212 views | 36 36 comments | 6 6 recommendations | email to a friend | print
FAIRBANKS — A Fairbanks man is accused of trying to purchase a $28,000 pickup truck with a forged check for the
fourth time this year.
Jonathon Michael Smith, 22, was arraigned Tuesday on new felony charges of attempted first-degree theft and second-
degree forgery.
He still faces more than a dozen other charges stemming from the previous incidents, and had been out on bail for only
about two weeks when he allegedly tried to pull the scam Monday at Seekins Ford.
Smith reportedly told a Seekins employee that he had recently come into a large sum of money, and he intended to
purchase a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck.
However, the manager became suspicious of the check from USAA and accompanying letter stating the check was valid,
and contacted another local dealership that was allegedly swindled by Smith.
USAA is a financial services company serving military members and their families.
Smith was a Fort Wainwright soldier who was discharged in January following his initial arrest. He was AWOL from his
unit for two years, said Maj. Bill Coppernoll, a spokesman for U.S. Army Alaska.
Fairbanks police Officer Jim O’Malley responded to the dealership soon after the manager became aware that
something was amiss. O’Malley was aware of Smith’s history and asked him what he was doing.
Smith said that he was “being stupid,” according to a criminal complaint filed in court.
Magistrate Bethany Harbison set Smith’s bail at $20,000. If he is released from jail, he is not allowed on the premises of
a car dealership and he cannot possess checks or items purported to be checks.
Smith allegedly used forged checks to purchase two trucks worth $70,000 from Kendall Honda in January. About the
same time, he also tried to purchase a $25,000 truck from Gene’s Chrysler, but employees became suspicious of the
checks Smith wrote and refused to deliver the vehicle.
To create the checks, Smith allegedly altered a USAA check another man posted on his blog after removing the account
and routing numbers. He would print the altered check from e-mails and try to pass them as real to the employees of
local car dealerships, court documents allege.
All of the forged checks had blurry printing, inconsistent fonts and lacked routing numbers, according to court records.
In January, he told police he did not know why the checks had not been honored since he had money market and
mutual fund accounts with USAA. He also claimed to have received an inheritance recently from his mother after she
passed away.
A USAA representative told Fairbanks police that Smith has a checking account with them with a zero balance, as well
as an overdrawn credit card.
The company does not e-mail checks to customers, according to court filings.
At his arraignment Tuesday, Smith said he plans to hire his own lawyer.