Bad check ring resurfaces in Bremerton
BREMERTON -- Bremerton Police tell KOMO 4 News they thought they had broken up a bad check ring earlier this year. Now they say: "They're baaack!"
Well, at least some of them are allegedly working the same area.
Car dealers around Bremerton can tell anyone the ring has some expertise. The scammers bought cars worth some $175,000 with phony checks.
Police lieutenant Pete Fisher says the checks were, in fact, very convincing.
"They actually investigated and found bank numbers that were valid and used professional bank stock and computer programs to generate the checks," Fisher said. "So it would look like a legitimate check to a business."
Just ask used car sales manager Wes Konsmo -- he got one of those checks.
"It looked good. Everything about it was good," he said. "But we just couldn't collect; couldn't find him. And we chased him for a while, we finally got the car back."
Now it's happening again. Lt. Fisher says one day after two of the bad guys got out of jail, they started passing more bad checks.
"I would say it is fairly unusual," Fisher said. "But as the identity theft is growing, we are starting to see it a little more frequently."
The man who sold one of the cars, Drew Bradstreet, is not amused.
"Sounds like a good profession," he said. Then he laughed and added: " No, it doesn't sound right at all."
Konsmo added: "I'd like to see them stay in jail a little longer.... so it doesn't happen to us or any one else out there."
This time police say car dealers aren't the targets. They tell KOMO 4 News they have arrested three suspects, they are looking for three others.
Well, at least some of them are allegedly working the same area.
Car dealers around Bremerton can tell anyone the ring has some expertise. The scammers bought cars worth some $175,000 with phony checks.
Police lieutenant Pete Fisher says the checks were, in fact, very convincing.
"They actually investigated and found bank numbers that were valid and used professional bank stock and computer programs to generate the checks," Fisher said. "So it would look like a legitimate check to a business."
Just ask used car sales manager Wes Konsmo -- he got one of those checks.
"It looked good. Everything about it was good," he said. "But we just couldn't collect; couldn't find him. And we chased him for a while, we finally got the car back."
Now it's happening again. Lt. Fisher says one day after two of the bad guys got out of jail, they started passing more bad checks.
"I would say it is fairly unusual," Fisher said. "But as the identity theft is growing, we are starting to see it a little more frequently."
The man who sold one of the cars, Drew Bradstreet, is not amused.
"Sounds like a good profession," he said. Then he laughed and added: " No, it doesn't sound right at all."
Konsmo added: "I'd like to see them stay in jail a little longer.... so it doesn't happen to us or any one else out there."
This time police say car dealers aren't the targets. They tell KOMO 4 News they have arrested three suspects, they are looking for three others.
