| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: NORTON, NICK 0758 (AR-2371) DID THEN AND THERE UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY UTTER AND PUBLISH AS TRUE CERTAIN FALSE, ALTERED OR FORGED WRITTEN ORDERS FOR MONEY, TO MR SAMUEL SONNON, TO WIT: THREE CHECKS, KNOWING FULL WELL THAT SAID WRITTEN ORDERS FOR MONEY WERE FALSE, ALTERED OR FORGED, SAID CHECKS BEING PASSED WITH THE INTENT THEN AND THERE TO INJURE AND DEFRAUD THE VICTIM, AND DIVERSE OTHER PERSONS TO THE STATE ATTORNEY UNKNOWN, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATUTE 831.07. DID KNOWINGLY UTTER, OR PASS OR TENDER 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, FORGED, OR COUNTERFEIT, WITH INTENT TO INJURE OR DEFRAUD ANY PERSON: TO WIT: VICTIM ONE, RUBYE KOCUREK AND VICTIM TWO, BRANNEN BANK, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE 831.09. THE DEFENDANT DID KNOWINGLY COMMIT A SCHEME TO DEFRAUD, IN WHICH HE CONDUCTED A SYSTEMATIC, ONGOING COURSE OF CONDUCT WITH INTENT TO DEFRAUD ONE OR MORE PERSONS, OR WITH INTENT TO OBTAIN PROPERTY FROM ONE OR MORE PERSONS BY FALSE OR FRAUDULENT PRETENSES, REPRESENTATIONS OR PROMISES OR WILLFUL MISREPRESENTATIONS OF A FUTURE ACT, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATE STATUTE NUMBER 817.034(3)(4). On 081412, at approximately 1034 hours, I responded to Brannen Bank in Crystal River, located at 865 NE HIGHWAY 19 in reference to a fraud already occurred. Upon my arrival, I met with the victim, MS Rubye Kocurek, who was accompanied by her daughter, MS Teresa Horton, as well as a bank employee. The employee stated to me that she believed fraudulent activity was occurring on Ms Kocurekâs account. Ms Horton stated to me that she had been visiting her mother and found letters from the bank that stated her motherâs account had been overdrawn. She then began looking at her motherâs statements and noticed a few recurring charges that seemed out of place, as well as, checks that her mother stated she had not written. The bank provided me copies of the checks in question, as well as the payments which had been made online. The checks were numbered 729 for $100.00, CHECK NUMBER 732 FOR $100.00 and CHECK NUMBER 734 WAS FOR $60.00. All checks were made out from Ms Kocurek to the DEFENDANT, MR Samuel Sonnon. Ms Kocurek stated that she is sure that she did not write these checks and the bank provided me a copy of a check that she is sure she wrote for comparison. Numerous details about the handwriting appear to differ between THE checks. Ms Kocurekâs handwriting is all cursive and fairly sloppy. The checks in question are all very neatly written in cursive except for the word ânoâ on the portion of the check where it denotes cents, which on one check in question is written in uppercase WHICH IS check NUMBER 732. On another check in question, the word ânoâ is not written, but instead â00â WHICH IS ON check NUMBER 734. On the final check in question, it is written âxxâ ON CHECK NUMBER 729. Additionally on the checks in question, the dates are separated by horizontal dashes, whereas on the confirmed check, they are separated by periods. Copies of both the checks in question and the sample check were turned in to THE CITRUS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE (CCSO) RECORDS DIVISION. In addition to the fraudulent checks, Ms Kocurekâs account was charged by Permanent General, an automobile insurance company, on 052212 for $121.76, again on 062012 for $107.20. Also charged was one payment to Progress Energy on 071112 for $223.87, two payments to Dish Network on 052912 for $63.36 and ON 072912 for $87.83. These charges were not done in the name of Ms Kocurek, but in the name of MR Samuel Sonnon. Ms Kocurek again stated that she has never given the suspect access to her accounts. Copies of these transactions were turned in to THE records DIVISION. Ms. Kocurek was visibly upset throughout my time speaking with her, as she said that Mr Sonnon was a very close neighbor, who she had trusted. She had in the past given him already filled out checks that were made out to her water company for him to drop off, but never blank checks. When asked how he could have obtained her blank checks, she stated that he is a neighbor and visits her often and she had no reason to think that he was doing anything CRIMINAL and therefore did not keep a close eye on him. She had written Mr Sonnon checks in the past in the approximate amount of $2,000.00 to fix her air conditioner. She now has a suspicion that there was never anything wrong with the air conditioner, but was advised that matter would be a civil issue. I spoke with the bank employee, who stated THAT, these recurring payments from Permanent General, Progress Energy, and Dish Network she FOUND going back as far as January of 2012. THE BANK EMPLOYEE, MS STEPHANIE JOHNSON stated that she could not access if ANY OF these payments were made from Mr Sonnon on the computer that is at her desk. SHE ADVISED THAT SHE would print copies like THE ONES I was ALREADY provided earlier, when she could. ThIS case will be supplemented with the updated numbers at that time. I then spoke with MR Brown Dumas III, who is the Area Executive for Brannen Bank, who stated that Ms Kocurekâs account would be credited for the three fraudulent checks, as well as any fraudulent payments made in Mr Sonnonâs name for the past 60 days, but PER their policy can not refund MS KOCUREK any further. at this time, Brannen Bank is the victim for $678.90 and Ms. Kocurek is the victim for $185.12 until I receive further information from the bank. At approximately 1611HOURS, i listened to a phone call between ms kocurek and the defendant. ms kocurek asked the defendant about the fraudulent payments made from her account to his bills as well as the checks that he took from her. during the initial stages, the defendant denied any wrongdoing. the phone was then given to ms horton, who again asked him about the dish, electric, and auto insurance bills that were paid from ms kocurekâs account. she asked what he had to say for himself about forging the checks in her motherâs name, which was when the defendant stated that it was not okay. when asked why he did it, he replied that HE DID NOT know, and then that he was in a rough spot. the phone was then given back to ms kocurek, and the defendant apologized to her. she asked again why he did it, and the defendant again replied that he dID NOT know. I and deputy richey/0678 then responded to 1255 ne 2nd aveNUE and made contact with the defendant AT HIS RESIDENCE. he was read his miranda rights via an agency preprinted card. he waived his rights and stated that he wished to speak with me. i asked the defendant if he knew why i was at his house, and he stated that it was probably in reference to his next door neighbor. i asked why, and he stated that he took money from her to pay his bills. the defendant admitted to me that he had taken checks from her checkbook when she was not looking. he stated that he has taken approximately ten total checks over the past year, and has used some of them to pay bills via telephone and some he has forged her signature to get cash from the bank. he stated that he did not know the exact months in which he paid his bills without her permission, nor could he approximate a total amount that he had taken from her via forging her checks. he did state that he took the checks off the top of her checkbook while she was not looking, and that most of the checks he forged and cashed WERE FOR APPROXIMATELY $100.00. in addition, he admitted to having charged her approximately $500.00 for repairs made on her air conditioner, and then told her that he lost the check and she needed to write him another check for the same amount. HE THEN CASHED both CHECKS. the total amount of the fraud is still open pending further information needed from the bank. at this time, the total amount that brannen bank is the victim for is $678.90 and the total amount ms kocurek is the victim for is $185.12. the defendant was placed under arrest for SCHEME to defraud, three counts of uttering a forged instrument, and three counts of forgery. THE DEFENDANT WAS THEN HANDCUFFED IN FRONT (DOUBLE LOCKED) AND PLACED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE. the defendant was taken to THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY, FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. THE DEFENDANTâS TOTAL BOND WAS SET AT $8,000.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE |
