LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / January 28, 2000

NORCO – Businesses across south Louisiana are being hit by a flurry of bogus payroll checks from Orion Refining Co., and the FBI is taking a hand in thecase.

Jim Thompson, human resources manager for Orion, said there are some mistakes made in the fake checks which should tip cashiers off and prevent further fraud.

“It looks like what they did was scan in a check and make alterations from there,” Thompson said.

However, some tell-tale changes were made. The checks are supposedlyissued by “Orion Refinery of New Sarpy,” rather than Orion Refining Co. ofNorco.

In addition, the signature of company president and chief administrative officer, R. Glenn McGinnis, is missing from the forged checks.Thompson has been in touch with law enforcement agencies involved and reported that four or five people appear to be directly involved. He guessedthat a motivation might be traced to disgruntled former employees caught up in a recent layoff.

He added that most of the bogus checks are in the range of $600 to $900.

Walter Pertuit, manager of Super Foods on West Fifth Street in LaPlace, confirmed they cashed a $914 check. However, the transaction was caughton videotape and the tape is in the hands of authorities.

Capt. Michael Tregre of St. John Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the FBI hasalready taken a hand in the case, in cooperation with Chief of Detectives Robert Hay, but he offered no additional details.

Capt. Patrick Yoes of the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office said Detective ChadRobicheaux is working on the case as well.

Yoes said the best thing businesses which cash payroll checks can do is buy and use a fingerprinting kit, available from office supply stores. Such kitshave a non-staining ink which a cashier can use to ask customers to thumb- print directly on the check. “One thing they can’t forge is their fingerprint,”he said.

This gives investigators valuable evidence in tracking and/or prosecuting the cases. Meanwhile, Yoes cautioned the businesses, “As computer technologychanges, you’ll see more of that.”Yoes said any business which gets a bogus Orion payroll check in St. CharlesParish should call Robicheaux at 443-0334. In St. John Parish, businessesshould call Hay at 652-9513.

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