The Utica PD had reported a man who had been arrested for Grand Larceny after he allegedly cashed in a fraudulent stimulus check in March.
Nicolas Smith, 37, from Utica entered a local check-cashing business in February 2022 and tried to cash a stimulus check for $1,400. He had also cashed a check back in March 2021. The business believed this to be a fraudulent check and refused to cash the stimulus check and informed the Utica Police Department.
Stimulus Check Fraud News: The Case Was Turned Over To The CID
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This case was turned over to the Criminal Investigations Division and they later learned that Nicolas Smith was able to cash the second check at a different location.
According to the Utica Police Department, the Treasury Department had records showing they sent forward $1,400 checks from their check-cashing account, which left them at a loss.
Investigators related to this case believed that Smith reported the first check to be stolen and had cashed it fraudulently.
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He later was able to obtain the second stimulus check.
Nicolas Smith was later arrested on March 29 and was charged with Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree.
Eyewitnesses will later update the story as soon as any new information is released.