Jones Co. man charged after allegedly cashing fraudulent check for thousands

JOHNSON COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) - An Olin man faces charges after allegedly cashing a fraudulent check for thousands of dollars at a Swisher bank.

40-year-old Christopher Maestas, of Olin, was charged with forgery - use/alter forged writing and second-degree theft involving a bad check between $1,500 and $10,000.

On May 14, police say Maestas went to cash a check for $2,549.23 at the Central State Bank in Swisher. The bank cashed the check and gave him the money.

The check appeared to be from a local business, made out to Maestas. The business later told police they never wrote the check.

The sheriff’s office recommends the public stay educated about financial fraud and scams to prevent similar incidents from occurring.