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FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Three Bridgeport men were charged with making counterfeit checks in Fairfield on Thursday afternoon, accused of using fake documents to buy cars in Fairfield, Bridgeport and Milford, police say.
The manager at Audi of Fairfield first reported suspicious activity to police this week. He said a man came into the dealership July 16 to purchase a 2010 Audi A5 and left a deposit check in the name of Mark Miller for $1,000, according to the police report. When the man wrote a second check for the full amount of $35,734 earlier this week, the manager told police he suspected the check was counterfeit. A call to the issuing credit union found that the name and account information on the check were fake, police say.
Fairfield Police were waiting at the dealership when Marcus Broomes, 24, of Bridgeport arrived to pick up the car Thursday. He was driving a Mercedes SUV purchased at Land Rover of Milford earlier that day through a similar scheme, police say. Broomes and the driver, Desmond Pollard, 21, of Bridgeport, were both arrested at the scene.
A third man, Anthony Whitaker, 22, of Bridgeport drove in during the arrest in a car that police believe was stolen from BMW of Bridgeport earlier in the week, according to the police report. He drove off in the Infiniti QX56, parked it on a dead-end street nearby, and took off on foot, police say. He was found nearby and taken into custody.
A search of the apartment building where the three live turned up computers and printers, which police believe were used to make the counterfeit checks. The search also turned up documents showing the three were trying to buy at least six more cars from dealerships in Fairfield and Milford, according to police reports.
Broomes, Pollard and Whitaker were all charged with criminal attempt to commit first-degree larceny, conspiracy and second-degree forgery, all felonies. Whitaker was also charged with interfering with police, a misdemeanor. Each was held on $150,000 bond and is due in court Aug. 6.
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