Sauk Rapids Man Arrested for Alleged Theft and Check Forgery

(KNSI) — A 57-year-old Sauk Rapids man is under arrest after police say he stole tools and a checkbook earlier this year.

According to a criminal complaint, police in Sauk Centre met with an employee at Walmart who said a man passed bad checks there in September, October, and November for a total of $554. The employee showed police the security camera footage showing the man they identified as James Earl Meyer, passing the checks.

January 5th, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was called to a business in Holdingford about someone passing a check for $568.49, which was returned as invalid and from a closed account. Investigators were already looking into a report of stolen tools from that business, and workers identified Meyer as the culprit.

Meyer allegedly admitted to passing the bad check in an interview with police but said someone gave him the checkbook.

February 8th, a Cold Spring woman called the police and said she was waiting for checks to be mailed to her but believed they might have been stolen as they were used at an area gas station. Investigators then spoke with the gas station owner, who said someone passed a bad check recently and identified Meyer. They showed police photos of Meyer allegedly driving up to the gas station in a vehicle, which police say was not registered to him.

Meyer is also accused of passing a bad check at a Sartell gas station, and police say he was the passenger in a car that was stopped while police were investigating reports of mail theft in the area.

Meyer is charged with theft and check forgery. His next court date is set for April 7th.

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