A resident of Honolulu was detained and charged with several counts of theft and forgery after an alleged attempt at cashing stimulus checks fraudulently at a bank. Calvin Militante was arrested on May 3 on a double count of 2nd-degree forgery and a double-count of second-degree attempted theft.
Militante tried on two occasions to cash an altered federal stimulus check and a child support stimulus check at a local bank.
An Alarming Stimulus Check Forgery Case
Both the acts are considered felonies and invite 5 years of imprisonment. Steve Alm, the prosecuting attorney, has warned residents of the need to be more vigilant about refund checks plus other stimulus payments.
Alm said that even as refund stimulus checks are dispatched by the administration, it is vital that residents are aware of a potential for forgery and theft.
He said that if a citizen suspects that their refund check was stolen, they should immediately contact law enforcement authorities or the US Treasury Inspector General in the department of tax administration to file a report. They should also route stimulus checks from the IRS directly to a bank account instead of deciding on a paper check.
In the first case, Militante stole the US Treasury Check and attempted to cash it at a branch of the Bank of Hawaii at 2969 Mapunapima Place, as revealed by court documents released by the state.
In the next instance, Militante attempted to forge a child support check and cash the$1,400 at the same bank but at its 1441 Kapiolani Boulevard branch.
He faces 2 counts each of second-degree forgery and attempted theft. Both carry imprisonment of up to 5 years and are classified as Class C felonies. Thomas Michener, the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney and a member of the department’s white-collar crimes team is prosecuting the case.
