A Smithville man accused of eight counts of forgery was among 37 people indicted by the local grand jury last week.
Enrique (Ricky) Adelaido Lomas allegedly passed eight different stolen checks at six different local stores. He reportedly began his spree on July 7, when he passed a forged check in the amount of $150 at a local business. According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, the check had been reported stolen, and was returned to the merchant. Lomas then allegedly passed another forged check at another local business in the amount of $130 on July 10. The amount on the document had reportedly been whited out and changed.
Then, on July 16, Ray said Lomas passed another check in the amount of $120 at a different business. The check had also been flagged as stolen and was returned to the business. Later that day, the man allegedly passed another stolen check in the amount of $80 at the same store. It had also been flagged as stolen, and was also returned to the business as well.
Ray said Lomas passed two more forged checks at yet another business on July 21, for $65 and $100, another check at the same business he visited on July 16 in the amount of $100, and yet another forged check at yet another business in amount of $100.
He was also charged with theft under $500 for allegedly taking a check from the glove compartment of a victim’s truck on July 6. The matter was investigated by a sheriff’s department detective.
Lomas will be arraigned in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Dec. 7.
Meanwhile, a man believed to have broken into Center Hill Wine and Spirits to steal two bottles of Vodka on Nov. 25 was indicted for burglary, theft under $500, and vandalism under $500.
According to Captain Steven Leffew, John Amail Land was arrested for burglary, vandalism, and theft after an investigation into the break in by Detective Brandon Donnell. Police said Sergeant Travis Bryant responded to a burglar alarm at the store at around 5:12 a.m. that day, and found that the door to the business had been broken, and a large rock was lying inside the store.
The owner of the business reportedly told him that two bottles of Vodka had been taken. Land became a suspect in the case after a review of store surveillance video.
He will also be arraigned in criminal court on Dec. 7.
