LOWELL, Mich. - Two men are in police custody after one of them tried to cash fake checks at two different locations in West Michigan.
Police were first called to the Mercantile Bank in Lowell on Tuesday, July 17, when a man tried to cash a fraudulent check. The bank had been notified earlier about a man trying to cash a fake check at a different branch in Grand Rapids. The employees denied the transaction after getting the suspect's ID and a fingerprint.
Bank employees watched the suspect get into a pick-up with Florida plates. Police located the truck and attempted to make a traffic stop. The truck pulled over and when the officers were walking toward the truck, the driver sped away.
Police pursued, but called off the chase in the City of Belding. The driver and fraud suspect were later arrested just north of the City of Lowell.
Police say the driver is Jesse Edwards, 31, of Atlanta. He is charged with fleeing and eluding police and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Arthur Smith, 45 of Grand Rapids, is charged with financial transaction device possession.
The Lowell Police Department thinks the two have been passing fraudulent checks in Kent and Ionia counties. If you have any information that could assist them in their investigation, please call LPD at 616-897-7123.
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