Two men have been arrested on suspicion of running a fake check ring that scammed thousands of dollars worth of services and major appliances from stores like Home Depot, Ganahl Lumber and Office Depot, police officials said Friday.
Following a joint investigation by the Los Alamitos and Buena Park Police Departments, 45-year-old David Arthur, of Anaheim, and 39-year-old Earl Leroy Gorman, of Santa Ana, were booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of burglary, forgery and narcotics early Thursday morning.
The two men allegedly created fake business bank accounts – using names of real businesses – to print and pass checks allowing them to take in cash and services worth thousands, according to a release from Los Alamitos Police Department. The duo allegedly duped businesses like Home Depot, Ganahl Lumber and Office Depot in almost 100 separate transactions over the past several months.
The men, who were arrested near their homes early Thursday morning, allegedly used the counterfeit checks to buy major appliances and construction materials, usually in the home remodeling industry. Officials suspect the duo then pawned or sold the stolen items for cash.
During a warrant search of the men’s homes, detectives seized about 15 grams of methamphetamine, evidence of discarded paperwork used to allegedly steal personal identities, and computer equipment used to create the fraudulent checks, according to the Los Alamitos Police Department.
Additionally, stolen property from Home Depot, worth about $3,500, was recovered and returned to representatives from the business.
Los Al officials said they do not release booking photos as part of Los Al Police Department policy.
