Crime & Safety

Texas Woman Arrested on Forgery and Fraud Charges

Authorities say the woman had made purchases in three other cities using someone else's name with checks with two different sets of routing numbers and accounts.

A Texas woman was arrested Tuesday on multiple charges including forgery and fraud for trying to purchase electronics at Costco with a fake check, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Chandrika Berry, 25, faces charges of attempted grand theft, passing a forged or altered check, forging a check, giving a false name to a law enforcement officer, and four counts of fraud by impersonation, after she allegedly presented the check and a fake ID to a Costco employee.

The Costco employee called the SCSO after Berry gave them an Arkansas driver’s license that looked like someone else while trying to buy a laptop computer and tablet with a check.

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Eventually deputies identified the suspect as Berry, a report said. They also found two other checkbooks in someone else's name with two different sets of routing numbers and accounts. Deputies also learned Berry had made three purchases in the past week in Clearwater and Brandon, as well as Rockwall, Texas.

Deputies arrested the man traveling with Berry, Marcus Addison, 24, of Arkansas, for driving without a valid license. 

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Berry is being held on an $11,000 bond, while Addison is being held on a $120 bond.

Additional charges are pending in other jurisdictions linked to this investigation.


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