Man arrested in La Cañada check thefts, forgeries

A Pacoima man was arraigned last week on charges of mail theft and bank fraud for cashing stolen checks belonging to two La Cañada Flintridge residents, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman.

Anthony Richard Thurn, 31, was indicted by a grand jury after having been arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department, Sept. 30 for driving a stolen car, according to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. District Court of Central District of California.

“Before that, we’d been looking for him for a month,” said Det. Frank Diana with the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station. “We were close to him. We knew his residences and where he hung out. It was only a matter of time.”

Thurn, who is charged with four counts of bank fraud and two counts of possession of stolen mail, remains in custody without bail. He is a parolee with four felony convictions on crimes unrelated to the current charges, according the complaint.

“Thurn was arrested and in court was ordered to be held without bond,” said U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesman Thom Mrozek. “The trial is set for Dec. 8.”

Thurn’s attorney, William Domnarski, declined to comment.

On Aug. 3, the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station followed up on a claim alleging the cashing of a forged check.

Diana researched bank records and watched video surveillance footage of a Wells Fargo bank where two of the victim’s checks were cashed.

Thurn had been there and left a California driver’s license in his name at a teller’s station.

Two bank tellers were able to identify Thurn in a photo line-up, according to the affidavit.

On Aug. 24, a second victim came forward with a forgery report, saying $900 had been fraudulently withdrawn by check from the victim’s account. The check was made payable to Thurn, according to the affidavit.

Thurn’s two listed residences in Pacoima were searched after a search warrant was granted, according to the affidavit.

In Thurn’s home the detectives found stolen mail, altered checks, a firearm, suspected narcotics and other identity theft paraphernalia.