Counterfeit checks put a Tulsa health club through a real work out

Someone got a hold of a Tulsa health club's paycheck, copied it, and then hired people to cash them. It was a unique case for the club, but unfortunately not the least bit unique for Tulsa Police.

Thursday, April 29th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Someone got a hold of a Tulsa health club's paycheck, copied it, and then hired people to cash them. It was a unique case for the club, but unfortunately not the least bit unique for Tulsa Police.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright says a counterfeit ring dropped a heavy weight on the owner of the Grand Health Club when he learned someone counterfeited his payroll checks and tried to cash them all over town.

Owner, Geof Eng: "We had a variety of places, pawn shops; check cashing places and grocery stores call and ask if we had these people work here and of course, no, we didn't."

Tulsa Police have surveillance video of a lady who tried to cash one of the checks at a grocery store. When the store found out she didn't work at the health club, she ran out, but left the fake check behind, which looks so much like the real paychecks, it's scary.

These counterfeit rings have it down to a science. Geof Eng: "You get the ringer and he gets valid people with valid IDâ€™s and he tells them if they cash so many checks, he'll pay them in money or drugs and they are doing it and getting away with it."

The club caught the crime early enough to notify its bank so that only one out of 17 or 18 checks was actually cashed. Geof Eng: "It's a low priority crime with so many other things going on that it's basically a slap on the wrist and they just keep on doing it."

You would think since they caught it early, this case is closed, but more of the checks were presented to be cashed just this week. If it's not this club, it'll be another business because Tulsa Police say this is a crime that occurs on a daily basis.