WOMAN CAUGHT WITH BOGUS TRAVELERS CHECKS

By Jon Mayhew

LINCOLNTON -- A Lincolnton woman shouldn't have listened to the advice in the old American Express commercials, where Carl Mauldin said "don't leave home without it." Instead, the woman is arrested trying to cash eight bogus travelers checks at a local bank.

Officer T. Potts responded to the Bank of America on East Main Street Tuesday around 10:15 a.m. after an employee called police to report Kelly Marie Bridges was trying to cash the bogus American Express travelers checks.

Potts took Bridges, 38, of Arney Street into custody without incident. Sgt. Willie Vaughn assisted Potts in the arrest.

In an incident report on file at Lincolnton Police Department, Bridges told authorities she was cashing the checks for a man in the United Kingdom, that he sent her the checks via Federal Express.

Bridges was charged with eight felony counts of forgery, eight felony counts of uttering a forged insturment for trying to cash the travelers checks, and one felony count of possession of a bogus travelers check.

She was taken to the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center under an $85,000 secured bond and had a first appearance hearing set for Wednesday in Lincolnton district court. Her next court date on the charges is Nov. 12, 2008.

Home