| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: SMITH, BRADLEY 0477 (AR09109341) DID THEN AND THERE UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY UTTER OR PASSES OR TENDERS IN PAYMENT AS TRUE, ANY SUCH FALSE, ALTERED, FORGED, OR COUNTERFEIT NOTE, OR ANY BANK BILL, CHECK, DRAFT, OR PROMISSORY NOTE, PAYABLE TO THE BEARER THEREOF OR TO THE ORDER OF ANY PERSON, ISSUED AS AFORESAID, KNOWING THE SAME TO BE FALSE, ALTERED, OR FORGED, OR COUNTERFEIT, WITH INTENT TO INJURE OR DEFRAUD ANY PERSON, COMMITS A FELONY OF THE THIRD DEGREE, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATUTE 831.09; ON 021709, THE VICTIM REPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT SOMEONE HAD STOLEN HIS SUNTRUST BANK CHECKBOOK AND HAD BEEN FRAUDULENTLY WRITING CHECKS OUT OF HIS ACCOUNT. I WAS LATER PROVIDED COPIES OF TWENTY EIGHT CHECKS THAT WERE FRAUDULENTLY WRITTEN OUT OF THE VICTIM'S ACCOUNT. EIGHTEEN OF THE CHECKS HAD BEEN WRITTEN TO THE DEFENDANT, MS RACHAEL ROSENTHAL, AND WERE SIGNED ON THE BACK BY RACHAEL ROSENTHAL. THE VICTIM PROVIDED A SWORN TAPED STATEMENT, ON WHICH HE SWORE THAT HE DID NOT WRITE, SIGN, NOR GIVE ANYONE PERMISSION TO CASH THE AFOREMENTIONED CHECKS. TWENTY TWO OF THE TWENTY EIGHT FRAUDULENT CHECKS WERE CASHED AT BANK OF AMERICA IN BEVERLY HILLS, FLORIDA. FIVE OF THE TWENTY EIGHT CHECKS WERE CASHED AT A BANK OF AMERICA IN CRYSTAL RIVER, FLORIDA, AND ONE WAS CASHED AT THE SUNTRUST BANK IN BEVERLY HILLS, FLORIDA. OF SIX OF THE FRAUDULENT BANK TRANSACTIONS, THE BANK TELLER OBTAINED DRIVER LICENSES FROM THE CUSTOMERS ON TWO OF THE CHECKS THAT WERE CASHED. THE DRIVER LICENSES THAT WERE OBTAINED BELONGED TO DEBRA DRAKE, THE STEPMOTHER OF THE DEFENDANT IN THIS CASE. ON FOUR OF THE CHECKS, THE DRIVER LICENSES OBTAINED BELONGED TO THE DEFENDANT AND HER STEPMOTHER. A DRIVER LICENSE OR IDENTIFICATION WAS NOT OBTAINED BY THE TELLER ON THE REST OF THE TRANSACTIONS BECAUSE THE TELLERS ADVISED THAT THEY RECOGNIZED THE CUSTOMER OR THE CHECK WAS WITHIN GUIDELINES NOT REQUIRING IDENTIFICATION. TWENTY SIX OF THE CHECKS WERE CASHED ON BANK OF AMERICA ACCOUNT NUMBER 229007590103, THE ACCOUNT REGISTERED TO THE DEFENDANT'S FATHER AND STEPMOTHER. ONE OF THE CHECKS WAS CASHED ON BANK OF AMERICA ACCOUNT NUMBER 229014131584, AN ACCOUNT REGISTERED TO RACHAEL ROSENTHAL. ONE OF THE CHECKS WAS CASHED AT SUNTRUST BANK WITHOUT AN ACCOUNT NUMBER PROVIDED. A REPRESENTATIVE FOR SUNTRUST BANK ADVISED ME THAT THEY REIMBURSED THE VICTIM $3,701.50, WHICH WAS THE TOTAL LOSS TO THE VICTIM. A REPRESENTATIVE FOR SUNTRUST BANK ADVISED THAT HER COMPANY WISHED TO PURSUE CHARGES AGAINST ALL GUILTY PARTIES IN THIS CASE. ON 060109, I MADE CONTACT WITH DEFENDANT AT THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY, WHERE SHE WAS HELD ON UNRELATED CHARGES. THE DEFENDANT WAS READ MIRANDA VIA PREPRINTED CARD, TO WHICH SHE ADVISED SHE UNDERSTOOD HER RIGHTS AND WOULD SPEAK TO ME. THE DEFENDANT WAS SHOWN COPIES OF ALL TWENTY EIGHT FRAUDULENT CHECKS. THE DEFENDANT ADVISED THAT SHE WROTE ALL OF THE CHECKS, EXCEPT FOR THE TWO THAT WERE WRITTEN TO HER FATHER, ALAN ROSENTHAL. THE DEFENDANT SAID THAT ON occasion HER STEPMOTHER, DEBRA DRAKE, WOULD ACCOMPANY HER TO THE BANK SO THAT SHE COULD CASH THE CHECKS UNDER MS DRAKE'S ACCOUNT. THE DEFENDANT SAID that TO HER KNOWLEDGE, HER STEPMOTHER DID NOT KNOW THAT SHE WAS FRAUDULENTLY CASHING CHECKS. THE DEFENDANT SAID THAT ON OCCASION, SHE WOULD STEAL HER STEPMOTHER'S DRIVER LICENSE AND USE IT TO CASH CHECKS AT THE BANK OF AMERICA. THE DEFENDANT SAID her FATHER, ALAN ROSENTHAL, HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THAT SHE WAS WRITING AND CASHING the VICTIM'S CHECKS. THE DEFENDANT WAS CHARGED WITH TWENTY SIX COUNTS OF UTTERING A FORGED INSTRUMENT AND HER BOND WAS SET AT $26,000.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. *NOT-EXEMPT* |
