Pair to Be Arraigned on Forgery Charges
Two people who police say are part of a ring that has cashed about $2 million in forged checks in Ventura and Los Angeles counties are to be arraigned today in Ventura Municipal Court.
Carl Jones, 49, and Marilyn Wilkerson, 40, both of Los Angeles, were arrested Tuesday as they tried to cash a forged check at a Security Pacific Bank at 152 W. Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks. They had about 20 stolen and forged checks totaling $1,300 in their possession, Ventura County Sheriff’s Detective Bob LeMay said.
Police believe that the two belong to a group that has passed at least 30 forged and stolen checks in Ventura County and at least 100 in Los Angeles County.
LeMay said the pair are suspected of being “mules” who cashed checks stolen from the mail and in burglaries. “We think they’re associated with a major fraud group,” he said, adding that the group is believed to be operating in Southern California.
Jones and Wilkerson were booked at Ventura County Jail on suspicion of forgery and possession of forged checks and stolen property.
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