Local News
Man passes bad checks at Publix
JOE SEELIG
Published: October 6, 2012
SEBRING - A Tampa man remained in Highlands County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bond Thursday on charges relating to two incidents last year, during which Sebring police say he entered Sebring Publix supermarkets dressed as a female and cashed bogus checks.Published: October 6, 2012
On April 28, 2011, police say he entered a store at 2824 U.S. 27 S., and passed a bad check for $245.04 made out to Shavone Love. Dressed in a short shoulder-length wig and brown medical scrubs, he reportedly bought two $100 gift cards and took $20 cash, the arrest report stated.
On May 11, 2011, the manager reported the check was returned to them by the Bank of America, which stated the account could not be located. Video surveillance footage of the transaction was collected, the report stated.
On that day, another incident with the same circumstances was reported at the Publix located at 3610 U.S. 27 N. Video footage contained images of a person detectives believed was the same individual, according to police.
In this case a check for $253.40 was cashed. Two $100 gift cards were purchased, along with a bottle of Advil, flowers and $20 cash, police stated.
Through a Florida Intelligence Unit network investigators received information from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office that a man identified as Corey Freeman was arrested there on a charge of passing counterfeit checks at Publix stores in their jurisdiction, the report stated.
The Sarasota photograph of Freeman showed him looking like a female, the report stated.
One of the two clerks who handled the transactions was able to pick Freeman out of a photo lineup, police reported.
Corey Jermaine Freeman, 32, of 7100 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa, was charged with petty theft first degree, fraud — uttering a false bank bill, note, check or draft in the May 11 case; and petty theft first degree, forgery of an altered bank bill, note, check or draft, and uttering a false bank bill, note, check or draft.
According to the report, Freeman went by 15 aliases: Corey Jermaine Freeman, age 34; Tony Corey Green; Toney Jermaine Brown; Corey Jermaine Miller; Tamika Freeman; Tamika Mitchell; Tina Green; Tamika Hall; Courey Freeman; Mitchelle Paris; Tamika Scott Sherrington; Tomika Hall; Toney Green; Tony C. Brown; and Tony J. Bell.
jseelig@highlandstoday.com (863) 386-5834