A former loan officer at 3-D Financial of Smithville has been named in a sealed indictment charging her with eighteen counts of forgery and one count of theft over $1,000.
53 year old Sari Bailey of Antioch Road, Smithville, who was arrested Friday, is accused of issuing $4,100 in loans, using the names and personal information of previous 3-D Financial customers without their knowledge, and keeping the money for herself. She also allegedly forged a company check and passed it at a local bank for $1,500 and kept the money.
Smithville Police Chief Richard Jennings, who investigated the case, says with each fraudulent loan issued, Bailey would apparently use the funds from it to either pay off or make a payment on the previous loan.
Bailey allegedly forged loan agreements using the names of six different persons in amounts of $100, $200, and $300 on seventeen occasions from April 27th, 2007 to October 30th, 2007.
The investigation began last fall after the office manager of 3-D Financial reported to police that three company checks were missing and that one of them had been cashed for $1,500 but the money was not returned. Chief Jennings says the fraudulent loan scheme was uncovered as a result of that investigation.
The indictment alleges that on and between April, 2007 and October, 2007, Bailey did forge and pass one check and seventeen loan agreements with a total net loss of approximately $2,893 on accounts with the intent to deprive 3-D Financial of said property, constituting the offense of theft over $1,000.
Her bond is $25,000 and she will appear for arraignment in DeKalb County Criminal Court on Monday, December 15th.
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has arrested two persons since Friday for driving under the influence.
37 year old Thomas Wayne Wallace Jr. of Jamestown was charged Friday with driving under the influence, unlawful possession of a loaded weapon, and possession of a loaded weapon while intoxicated.
Sheriff Patrick Ray says deputes spotted a vehicle that was parked in the roadway on Highway 70 East. Upon inspecting the vehicle, officers found Wallace passed out in a fetal position with the vehicle running and in gear. They determined that Wallace was under the influence of alcohol after he failed field sobriety tasks. Upon taking an inventory of Wallace’s vehicle, officers found a loaded handgun under his seat. Wallace’s bond was set at $3,000 and he will appear in court on December 18th.
Meanwhile on Saturday a county deputy stopped a vehicle on Highway 70 for weaving from side to side in the roadway. Sheriff Ray says 28 year old Steve Ross Merriman of Snow Hill Road Dowelltown was found to be the driver of the vehicle. Deputies noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle. Merriman was asked to perform field sobriety tasks. He was also asked to give blood to determine any alcohol content in his body. Merriman refused to consent to both the sobriety tasks and blood test. Deputies placed him under arrest for driving under the influence. Merriman’s bond was set at $1,000 and he will appear in court on January 8th.. Merriman was also issued a citation for violating the implied consent law.
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