Man arrested in check theft case 

A 30-year-old Key Largo man was arrested Monday for cashing checks reported stolen from  Tropical Cleaners in Key Largo in May.

Brandon Areno Shelby was charged with grand theft and passing a forged note.

The owner of the cleaners reported that on May 31, the business, located at 100101 Overseas Highway, had been burglarized. The burglar(s) appeared to have made entry via forcing open a rear door. The regular door lock had been locked, but not the deadbolt. There was a small amount of damage to the door, but most of the business was untouched save for several missing tools, multiple business checks and a smart phone as well as well as about $100 in petty cash. The owner later received a call from a check-cashing company asking if she had written two checks to two different individuals. She stated she had not. The owner gave the Sheriff’s Office  a copy of a third check made out for $400 to a man not arrested in the case.

Detective Deborah Johnson was assigned the case. On July 17, Patrol Deputies found the man who cashed the $400 check and brought him to the Sheriff’s Office Plantation Key Substation for questioning. The man said Shelby wrote him the check. The man stated he has known Shelby for about 10 years, “in and out of jail.” The man stated Shelby asked him to cash it for him in exchange for $50. The man stated Shelby claimed the check was from a family member’s business, but he couldn’t cash it, because he had no identification. The man told Detective Johnson he agreed to cash the check.

Detective Johnson later spoke to the family member and they stated they do not own a business and never gave Shelby any checks to cash.

Warrants were issued for Shelby’s arrest.

Shelby was already in jail on Monday on other unrelated fraud charges when he was further charged in the instant case.

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