A check for Dumbaugh Electric was in the mail, but someone decided to steal the check from the Dumaugh’s mailbox and make their own checks from the Sligo Authority.

“Last month on August 6, we approved a payment to Dumbaugh Electricity for $3,900 for pump repairs we had done,” said Secretary Janie Croyle. “On August 7, I mailed out the checks and apparently on Friday or Saturday, somebody got into Dumbaugh’s mailbox and stole four pieces of mail, our check included.“

However, the thieves didn’t steal the check so they could cash that check and keep the money.  They stole it to get Sligo’s routing number and account number and make their own checks.  Thanks to some technology, they made their own Sligo checks and copied the signatures off of the rechecks they took.

Whoever stole it worked fast.  The bogus checks were cashed on August 12.

“It looks like an original check,” said Chairman Chuck Marsh. “Two checks were to made Robert Allen Pittman, of Pittsburgh.”

Marsh said that so far only two checks have been written, and they total almost as (much as) the original check for Dumbaugh.

“What happened was the guy that was doing this had the checks when he was stopped on the Interstate, and the Maryland Police realized he had other people’s mail, and they started researching and found out what was going on,” said Croyle. “They called Dumbaugh to let him know, and then Dumbaugh called me.”

At Monday night’s meeting, the Authority closed its operating sewer fund and opened a new sewer fund checking with Northwest Bank and designated signers as Chuck Marsh, Jeff Elder, and Janie Croyle, with two signatures required on all checks.

Croyle talked with both the Maryland and Pennsylvania State Police.

It is not quite sure if the Sligo Authority will lose any money, but Croyle said some related expenses could include the cost of ordering new checks, the time required researching the situation, and just sorting out things.