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ELKINS -- A Randolph County man faces a felony forgery charge after allegedly stealing and using over checks from his father at local stores, totaling more than $700.
Thomas Patrick Southard, 40, of Elkins, is charged with one count of forging or uttering other writing, a felony. He is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $10,000 surety/cash bond, set by Randolph County Magistrate Mike Dyer.
According to the criminal complaint, filed by Sgt. K. Shiflett with the Elkins Police Department, on Aug. 8, Shiflett received a complaint in reference to forgery and uttering from Southard’s father, the alleged victim in this case. The alleged victim reportedly advised that Southard had taken checks belonging to the alleged victim to two separate Shop 'n Saves in Elkins.
Four checks were allegedly taken to the Shop ‘n Save located on Harrison Avenue and two checks were allegedly taken to the Shop ‘n Save located on the Beverly Five-Lane, the complaint states. The alleged victim advised that he had gone to both stories and a female subject had a flash drive that reportedly contained photographs of Southard using the checks at the store. The alleged victim also advised that the account the checks had been written from had been closed for a year.
Two checks were written on July 11, one for $39 and the other was for $128.48, he complaint states. Two checks were also written on July 12 for $120.91 and for $133.77. On July 16, two checks were once again written, one for $182.41 and the other for $167.26. The total amount of all six checks equals approximately $771.83.
The alleged victim told Shiflett that Southard had allegedly written the six checks without his permission, the complaint states. Shiflett was provided with CCTV footage that reportedly showed the checks being written and uttered at Shop ‘n Save.