A wide-spread counterfeiting group which uses homeless people to cash fraudulent checks has struck in Lincoln. 54-year-old Paul Bellew was arrested yesterday for his role in the scheme. Bellew, a transient, was approached by a group of individuals who offered to get him a hotel room and food in exchange for his help cashing the checks. They also agreed to pay him $450 for his services. Bellew complied, and on January 25th along with two other men, cashed five checks at two Security First bank branches in Lincoln for a total loss of $21,437.89. The group known nationally as “Operation Homeless,” has also struck in Kansas City and St. Joseph, Missouri. Bellew was charged with 2 counts of felony forgery; more arrests are expected.
A wide-spread counterfeiting group which uses homeless people to cash fraudulent checks has struck in Lincoln. 54-year-old Paul Bellew was arrested yesterday for his role in the scheme. Bellew, a transient, was approached by a group of individuals who offered to get him a hotel room and food in exchange for his help cashing the checks. They also agreed to pay him $450 for his services. Bellew complied, and on January 25th along with two other men, cashed five checks at two Security First bank branches in Lincoln for a total loss of $21,437.89. The group known nationally as “Operation Homeless,” has also struck in Kansas City and St. Joseph, Missouri. Bellew was charged with 2 counts of felony forgery; more arrests are expected.
