All in the family? Mississippi mother, two children arrested in suspected forgery operation that stole thousands from businesses
Published 8:45 am Saturday, January 21, 2023
A suspected forgery operation was apparently all in the family for a Mississippi mother and her two grown children, who were recently arrested after allegedly stealing thousands from businesses with fraudulent checks.
Investigators from the Vicksburg Police Department made three arrests following an investigation into a suspected forgery operation within Vicksburg on Tuesday.
The arrests come after an investigation that took several weeks, Investigator Jerrold Hayes said.
A local business reported on Dec. 29 that several fraudulent checks, written against a fictitious Huntington National Bank account, had been cashed for a total of $4,628.
The three arrested were Marsha Ann Reid, 66, Austin Chance Reid, 38, and Tia Reid Spencer, 43, all of Vicksburg. Austin and Spencer are Marsha’s children.
The three arrests are part of a larger ongoing investigation which the department expects will result in even more arrests.
“During the course of the investigation, we noticed that there are many (people) that could possibly be involved,” Hayes said. “And as the investigation continues, we also want you to know that there are other pending arrests that could be following.”
Hayes said he encourages local businesses to contact the police department if they believe they have been the victim of one of these individuals.
“We are also aware that many businesses may have been targeted, not only by these individuals but possibly by other individuals as well,” Hayes said. “We ask that if you have any information, and you believe that your business may have been targeted by any of these individuals to please contact the police department at 601-636-2511.”
The three defendants appeared before Judge Angela Carpenter in the Vicksburg Municipal Court on Friday for their initial appearance. Each was charged with one count of uttering a forgery and one count of conspiring to commit forgery.
Marsha Reid’s bond was set at $30,000, Austin Reid’s bond was set at $25,000 and Spencer’s bond was set at $40,000. All were bound over to the Warren County Grand Jury.
