AMY SZPARA

LAPLACE – Five area residents were recently arrested and several more are being investigated after authorities uncovered a ring of conspirators who were allegedly manufacturing checks and then cashing them. Jai Gibson Joseph, 30, 8774 Houma Drive, LaPlace, was booked on nine counts bank fraud, nine counts forgery, two counts identity theft and nine counts conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Believed to be the ring leader, Joseph was the last to be arrested and booked. Clifford M. Bailey III, 26, 101 Ormond Blvd. Apt. C., LaPlace, was charged with three counts bank fraud, three counts forgery, two counts contempt of court and three counts conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He is believed to have been Joseph’s partner in recruiting other conspirators in St. John the Baptist Parish, according to authorities. The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office was recently contacted by a special agent investigator for a Montreal company called Canadian Illinois Railroad, said Capt. Mike Tregre of the sheriff’s office. A former employee, Bailey, who had been terminated from the company was found to have been receiving pay checks from Canadian Illinois Railroad, though he no longer worked for them. Bailey’s last check should have been for July, but an internal audit showed that several other checks had been made payable to him and other people who were never employed by the company, said Tregre. Each check was written out in an amount between $600 and $900, and all together the group cashed $25,000 worth of stolen money. After a brief investigation, three Edgard residents were arrested Aug. 23, three days after the call from the investigator. They are believed to be people recruited by Bailey and Joseph to cash the checks and pay the duo a percentage of each check. Kyle Gaudet, 27, 283 Central Ave., Edgard, was booked on six counts bank fraud and five counts forgery. His sister, Tricia Turner, 26, who resides at the same address, was arrested on 10 counts bank fraud and five counts forgery. A third person, Kitt Gauthier Jarrow, 29, 119 Sammy Court, also of Edgard, was booked on four counts bank fraud, two counts forgery and two counts fugitive from another agency. The only two arrested still being held at the Sherman R. Walker Correctional Center in LaPlace are Bailey and Joseph. Bailey is being held on $30,500 bond and Joseph is being held on $110,000. Both were set by Judge Mary Hotard Becnel. “They were cashing checks all over St. John,” said Tregre, who added that the ongoing investigation stretches from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. He said that some local businesses were helpful in getting the suspects arrested. Walter Pertuit, one of the store managers of Super Foods on West Fifth Street, knew something was amiss when people began trying to cash checks that appeared to be artificial at his store. “When they came into my location to cash checks, the girl came in with a check for $756.25, they just looked forged,” he said, adding that the first check Turner attempted to cash at his store was drawn from a First American Bank on Williams Blvd., where there is no such bank. “I cash enough checks to know. That was obvious,” said Pertuit. Another give-a-way, he said, was that the check was dated for August 2002. “It was the wrong year.” Pertuit said the checks were first presented to the other store manager. “It just looked too artificial. He didn’t like the looks of it,” he said, adding that he checked the vehicle license of the person and refused to cash the check. Later the same afternoon, August 1, Gaudet came into Super Foods and attempted to cash a check, said Pertuit. The check was drawn from St. James Bank and Trust, but New Orleans was misspelled. He turned him down as well. “They were automatically giving themselves away. They were making stupid mistakes,” said Pertuit. Super Foods takes pictures of everyone who cashes checks at the store, which Pertuit said is usually a deterrent for forgery. By using a camera with dual lenses, employees have a hard copy of the person, the check and their identification. They were able to give the police copies of the suspects, and the sheriff’s office pursued those people. “I’m glad they all went to jail,” said Pertuit. According to Tregre, Joseph made counterfeit checks via a computer, which is now in custody. Police are examining the computer to determine what other scams may have occurred that they have not yet discovered. “It was a conspiracy. They all knew what they were doing, and they all forged those checks. One guy was so lucrative, that he went out on his own and started doing the same scam with his computer,” said Tregre. “It may be widespread.” Tregre added that St. John has not seen many cases like this one. “We haven’t had too many. Usually, they come out here to cash the checks. I haven’t seen any that actually began here. “We’re still looking at how many people are involved. All five of these confessed.” Pertuit believes that a sixth individual who has tried to cash a check at his store may also be involved. A check that looks similar to the others was brought into Super Foods recently, and the account it was drawn from is located in Canada.