A 32-year-old man was arrested in Ocala after he attempted to cash a fraudulent check at a local bank.
On Thursday, March 2, at approximately 2:25 p.m., an Ocala Police Department officer responded to the Regions Bank located at 2734 NE Jacksonville Road in reference to a forged check. A bank employee had contacted law enforcement to advise that the suspect attempting the fraudulent transaction was not an account holder, though the check was in a Regions account holder’s name, according to the OPD report.
Upon arrival, the officer made contact with the male suspect, identified in the report as Ryan David Abrahams.
The OPD report stated that Abrahams possessed a California driver’s license, which listed another name, and he had provided this license to the bank teller as his own. While speaking with the officer, Abrahams identified himself by his actual name.
Another OPD officer arrived on scene and made contact with a bank representative. The representative advised that Abrahams had presented a business check in the amount of $4,870 to a bank teller, and Abrahams had requested to have the check cashed, according to the OPD report.
In the report, the officer noted that Regions Bank has an actual account with the business listed on the check, and the representative contacted the account holders on file to verify the transaction. The account holders informed the representative that the check was fraudulent, and employees at the bank proceeded to stall Abrahams until law enforcement arrived on scene.
According to the OPD report, the account holders informed investigators that three other banks in Sarasota had contacted them about other fraudulent checks that suspects had attempted to cash. None of those suspects had been caught or identified.
The officer made contact with Abrahams outside of the bank. After being read his Miranda rights, Abrahams advised that he was from Miami, and he claimed that there were “multiple people involved” in the incident, according to the OPD report.
Abrahams told the officer that he met with someone in Miami who provided him with the fake California driver’s license and the fraudulent checks. He claimed that he was told to go to the Ocala area to cash the check at any Regions Bank location, and his girlfriend proceeded to drive him to Ocala. In the OPD report, the officer noted that Abrahams refused to provide the names of any of the individuals who were involved in the incident.
Abrahams was arrested, transported to Marion County Jail, and he was later released on $3,250 bond. He is facing felony charges for uttering a forged instrument and criminal use of a personal ID.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.