Two charged in stolen check scheme

By Times Staff Writers
Published July 27, 2005

---

BROOKSVILLE - Two Brooksville men are in custody after they were accused of passing stolen checks as their own.

According to a Hernando County Sheriff's Office report, Tyrone Hill, 38, visited a home to do some work on June 21. While inside the home, authorities say Hill stole jewelry worth $1,600. Hill was also accused of stealing checks that had been issued to another resident of the home, the report stated.

The following day, June 22, Hill used one of the stolen checks to buy $66.17 worth of goods at Bealls Outlet in Hernando County, the report stated.

Hill wrote his name, an old address and phone number in an attempt to pass the check as his own, the report stated. When contacted July 21, Hill told detectives that he sold the jewelry to a drug dealer in Brooksville. He said he used the stolen check to buy clothing at Bealls and gave the remaining checks to Michael Drake, 43, of Brooksville.

Hill was charged with grand theft, uttering a forged check and criminal impersonation. He was being held at Hernando County Jail on $9,000 bail.

Drake was charged with forgery. He is accused of passing four forged checks at various stores around Hernando County. Store surveillance videotape showed Drake writing three different checks, the report stated. Although there is no video of Drake signing the fourth check, his name, signature and driver's license number are the same as on the three others, investigators said. He was held on $4,000 bail.