on September 26th 2023 Tallahassee police were called to Fulmer's pawn shop in Tallahassee Florida after a woman attempted to cash a fraudulent $24,000 check the Shop's employee informed officers that they had already verified the check is fake what's going on buddy she's outside the building what's that the lady is right here she' come outside mhm we were just trying to see where she went but she we just got back inside so what's she what's going on she's trying to cash a $24,000 counterfeit check is it still there I don't think so we have a I saw a Chevy yeah she's in the Chevy help me out you guys do this how did you know this was to I've got the real I've got the original back there but we can show you an actual check and the one she brought in all the water marks everything are showing up like it's a copy the um qid scan doesn't work like nothing about it okay hello hello what's this I had receiv a check in a mail and it was supposed to to be a payback out from my back PID for what unemployment you were expecting a check for almost $224,000 I wasn't not really were you expecting to check at all I knew I was supposed to be getting a check but I didn't think it was supposed to been that much okay how did you get here huh how did you get here I drove is the car outside yours no I had drove well I actually got dropped off but I drove myself here but the person I was with had left because we supposed to be going to go pick up my kids after school okay what car is show up in it was why did they leave because we was running late picking up my kids from school all right so why didn't you go pick up your kids from school then because I had told them I was coming back about 5:00 well before then I'm inou something I mean this they're saying this is a fraudulent check I don't know I don't know any difference where' you work at before I used to work for the state at Florida State Hospital a while back ago how long ago like 2018 2019 2018 2019 okay have you worked since um after I had my kids I was out for like a year year and a half okay and then I end up going to a juvenile facility did you ever file for unemployment I did one time before when it was like around Co times so when exactly F had I had the wrong number I really don't honestly remember but during Co like when Co originally started so like probably yeah okay and since the state did you work anywhere else after where else did you work no like I went back to the state one time but then once like they Co rate had struck again I then I had end up leaving again mhm but I had never like when I applied for unemployment I never end up receiving it how'd you apply for it online okay and who who was it through um I think was through the unemployment office I'm not sure this was my first time ever like applying for unemployment did you ever get a you ever get an email back or anything um let me see so when did you get this send a mail um it was like I want to say almost a week ago but I wasn't never able to cash it because I didn't have my ID on me uhhuh so then that's when eventually I had finally got up the day and I was like well I got time to go get an IDE so let me go ahead and try to go get everything situated and settled where did you say the check came from again it was supposed to came from the unemployment office but like even like before I had received that check like I hadn't spoken to anyone like recently since then okay where was your ID you said you didn't have your ID when you had you got the check I had end up getting my license took by Florida Highway Patrol and I never end up going to go replace them or anything so you got a new idea today is that what you're saying yes okay because he told me that I couldn't use my picture ID and like that's what I have been using who told you you couldn't um the dude in there when was that this morning so you went today by walking to DMV to get another one mhm hold on so this morning what did you bring in here I had a picture ID on my phone LIC ID because it was suspended at the time when I had got pulled and you never got when did it stop being suspended like when was it valid again um it's in the process of being valid again if I understood you correctly you said that you haven't you haven't cashed this check for about a week because you because you wouldn't let you I didn't cash this check for about a week because of my work schedule but today being that I'm kind of free I had came in this morning and I tried to use my photo ID on my phone but he told me I couldn't use my photo ID on my phone so that's when I had went and got the hard copy of it okay please I can't afford to get in no TR no trouble I I I'm a single mom I got to make it at home for my baby dat birth like for kids that's waiting to get adopted for DCL or they parents don't want no more so I got you what do you do there I work with youth with young boys so in 2018 you work for the you said the state Florida State Hospital Florida State Hospital yeah what was your job there I was working with mental health patients okay so I left the state around July then because like the C rate it was spiking up real high and it was like sometimes we was wearing mask sometime we wasn't and they wasn't telling us when the residents had Co and how long you been working for TS I started last year July last July yeah hey Tamia hey I'm also D tell us Police Department um we're going to get into the the meat potatoes of the year I know you're kind of wondering what's going on okay so that's what I'm here for all right we're going to let you know what's going on and then we're going to talk okay um before I do that cuz I've got questions I want to ask you I got to read your rights doesn't mean you're in trouble okay I want just I want you to know that I have to read your rights so that you are advised of your rights before I ask you questions okay so you can make decisions okay all right you have the right to remain silent anything you say you can will be used against you in the court of law you have the right to talk to a lawyer and have him present with you while you're being questioned if you cannot afford to hire a lawyer one will be appointed to represent you before any question it if you wish you can decide at any time to exercise these rights not answer any questions or make any statements do you understand each of the rights I just read to you okay um having your rights in mind which is what I just read to you do you want to talk to us and answer questions I just want to know like I would love to explain it to you but I the only way I can talk to you is if you agree to talk to us after being advised your right you're good okay so what what's going on we're here you're here the check's here what give me tell me tell me what happened basically okay I was see a check in the mail that was supposed to be for back pay when did you receive it last week where at your house yes okay so I haven't been staying home honestly and I called my aunt and I was asking her like hey have I got any mail this and thir and she was like y you know you got a couple of your aunt stays with you yes I stayed while I stay with you stay okay yeah all right so she was like that I had a few pieces of milling and this that the third so I had went to go pick it up okay so after that that's one um I noticed that the check had came okay so I was like oh well you know Bo so last week when I picked it up I never end up catching it because due to my R schedule I always got off R late okay and so then after that that's when I had um came in today because I was off and to cash a check and when I tried to use my photo ID on my phone they was like no I needed a physical ID so I had went and got a phal ID okay and this happened so that check was for what for unemployment okay have you ever gotten unemployment before no I applied once but like I never received anything never heard anything goes bet so it was just like so this is the first time you've ever done unemployment filed for it or anything like that you've never received checks before for unemployment or anything this is the first one yes okay um and when did you receive it last week okay where's the envelope that that came in you have it it was supposed to been up front if they didn't move it okay um do you remember who it came from what was on the envelope it was like it was a blank envelope with the clear slip and it was a paper in front of it and then like when you unfold it it was like the check the rest of the well you know how like you rip off a check mhm that's how it was okay all right have you ever received Department of Treasury checks before for anything no okay um has anyone else seen that check have you talked talk to anyone else about that check no okay um and just and the reason for you waiting about a week to come in and cash it well because I don't get up till 6:00 so it's like by the time I make it back this way it's 7:00 so everything is I got you I almost closed I ask me a question back when you worked for the Florida State Hospital what was your salary um back then I was making like 15 something because I was Ops so I was making a little bit more than what an hour 15 hour 15 hour and you work for like six to seven months yeah but and we was working like sometimes we'll do 16 sometimes we'll double on or we can come in okay when you filed for an employment how' you do it what site did you go to um let me see can I pull up on my email yeah if you got something you got in there I don't know was it though a no what did you receive did you get like an email after you applied did you receive anything I had basically received a letter saying that I had to submit some more um information in but that was only thing it once I had unsubmitted everything that was it did you submit the paperwork yes okay how did you do that I did it online like at the time I was doing everything online but how I had like knew to do like the unemployment stuff my friend was telling me about it m so she did you ever receive an approval or a denial from them for unemployment I basically I really didn't too much to hear nothing else okay and then it was like I had started doing hair so it was like I wasn't really too focused on it that was probably around like 2019 you did that yeah okay so it's now 2023 never received anything back from them and all of a sudden you get a envelope in the mail pling white envelope in the mail with a treasury check inside it for $24,000 doeses that seem to make sense to you it it it was like it was a what because it was like I considered throwing it away but then again I was like what if this actually like this my back pay that they owed me so it was just like six to seven months that you worked and you made $15 an hour well I went say it was 6 to S months because it was like I worked and then I left and then I end up going back to work there so it was just like who do you bank with I was banking with ch not bank with a bank called go Toto Bank okay what what is that is that a it's a mobile banking app it's a mobile Bank okay so did you attempt to cash that that check at your bank deposited at your bank I didn't only because I don't have a physical card for that account Just sh I had to reorder one what do you mean like a debit card yes so they require you to have a debit card in order for you I didn't want to cash it into the account and then I wasn't able to use it due to I didn't have a physical debit card okay all right oh so you didn't put it in your bank because you wouldn't have a card to be able to utilize the money yeah like even with my job my direct deposits I had to stop a hold on my direct deposits due to I didn't I don't have a car to use my car at the moment so my job had to give me a cash check well I mean a check okay all right um Tama that's how you say your name taia taia okay I just I don't want to be disrespectful taia um here's where we're at um there's not really anything about this that's not fishy you know what I mean none of this makes sense all right um we're asking you questions because we're trying to gauge where you're at as far as what you're going to tell us and how truthful you're going to be but I'm going tell you right now not a darn thing that's come out of your mouth has made any sense okay 2019 you applied for unemployment is that what you said no it wasn't I wouldn't even say it was 2019 I want to say it was 2020 first originally when you got 2018 I I'm I'm going to say 2020 because I had my kids in 2019 I started working for the state a little after that okay so let's say it's 2020 okay it's three years later okay it's 2023 it's almost 2024 and you receive a check for supposedly what you applied for three years prior okay um and I'm going tell you right now unemployment doesn't give lump checks okay um unemployment is a payment as if you were working okay and those checks don't come from the treasury okay no but I'm letting you know that I know that oh well that's what I'm saying like I don't know like I never receive unemployment I never got a check from treasury or anything so this is like my first time actually receiving something like this I I promise I'm not lying to just just so you know for four years I did fraudulent investigations the department I saw stuff like this all the time and I and I'll tell you right now the reason we're asking this he said we're gauging how truthful you're going to be I'll tell you right now this is your chance to be honest because I know exactly what's going on um I can call it exactly like I can seen it every other time before somehow someone came in contact with you a male probably the male that's sitting in your car out there in the passer seat the black Chevy Malibu and that person convinced to you that you need to go in here and you need to cash this check and then payment would be to receive a portion of that check while they get the other you being a single mom I don't know if you get paid a lot right now I'm not going to worry about that but you would get a portion of that money and they would get the rest and all you had to do was go in here show your ID and here you go and this is what you got to say and these people will buy it and I say that because I recently arrested someone not too long ago for the same similar type of thing here so with that being said we already know the person out in the car because I don't know if you know this or not but this place has video cameras so they come or I'm sorry you come here and they see exactly what cars you come in and out of and they see what cars come at the same time that you come right well that car was here earlier with you right so it's odd that it's back now and there's a guy that's just been sitting there waiting well actually in the passenger seat now my my question is is did this guy contact you through like Instagram or Facebook or what and what did he promise you because and maybe he told you that yes this is this is legit and you know this is what it is but I'm telling you right now I know you're full of it um they tried to do this whole thing all the time with people with like here this is this is what it is this is what you're going to tell them that way it sounds legit or tries to sound legit the problem is is that treasury check first off it's fake as heck there's there's nothing about that check that's even remotely real you wouldn't get a check from the treasurer anyway that comes in a blank envelope in the mail 3 years later and then you claim it's unemployment so you can sit here and tell us all day long that this is what you believe it is or this is what you think it is or whatever story they concocted for you but ultimately you need to tell us who the person is out there how they contact you and everything else maybe we can help you out I'm not promising we can but well this is your chance to be honest because I'm telling you right now I already know you're lying I'm going to be completely honest with you the person that's in the car that's my little brother he's a minor okay he's 17 he has nothing absolutely nothing to do with this okay that's number one I'm complet I promise you I'm completely okay number two the check that came in the mail basically my friend helped me apply for unemployment she told me basically like you go on this website you do such and such and such and that was it but being that I never received anything I'm being completely honest with you I promise you I am being that I never received anything it was just like I didn't worry about it no more so so you're going to stick with that that came in the mail that's what you're sticking with cuz I'm going to tell you right now we're getting to a point where there's a there's going to be a line and once we meet that line of our patience with this there's going to be no going back and helping you without you being completely 100% honest with us I don't want that to happen for you he doesn't want that to happen for you but that's where it's headed I can give you my friend information that help me do anything but you can't you can't show us anything about anything that you applied for any website any email said you ever get money back which doesn't make sense you get it back from the treasury anyway a big lum sum of $24,000 3 years later after you fil unemployment that makes there's going to be they're not just going to send you a check without some sort of notification especially for that amount and with unemployment you get approved or you get denied I've done unemployment before back in the day you get approved you get denied but it's all notifications to your email in the mail you have documentation for everything because that's that's a government entity and they have to keep records of everything and you get notifications of every decision that they make but you can't show us one piece of documentation that's what I'm saying to you I didn't do everything by myself my friend me I can give you my friend information I can give you her name who helped me with it everything I just I don't I don't want to get in trouble I just really honestly want to make it back home to my kids I can give you all the person contact information your friend yes what are they going they're going to tell me yeah help your follow for unemployment that isn't help what is that going to do I don't I don't know I tell you what I tell you what give me your friend's information while we're here with you we're going to call her we're GNA see what she says what's your name Amber did you go to high school did I go to high school yes yes College I'm currently ened in college finished high school from college that means you're not stupid but you want me to you want me to expect to believe that that this was from an unemployment Tri it's amazing like I said I've done this for a long time I've did this for four years all kinds of stuff the only thing that ever changed was the names of the people that did it that's it it's the only that ever changed I promise you this my first time because I can look that that check right there and I can tell that that is beyond fake it's laughable the number that's on here there's a reference number on here the f941 has to do with payroll taxes not unemployment and the fact that you think that you would get a check for $24,000 basically after three years is ridiculous I know you're sitting here thinking that we're buying it but we're not no I'm not I'm not I'm just honest officers contacted her friend to determine if anyone else might be involved in the scheme to a friend hello is this Amber Amber this is Officer D with the Tas Police Department how you doing Hey listen um got a question for you we're down here with uh uh a young lady who gave me your number and your name uh Tamaya here down at uh ful Mar's pawn shop I got a question for you um I don't know if you were down here earlier with her or not were you here with her okay she's advising that did you ever assist her uh years ago or anything with uh trying to help her file for unemployment okay and okay and and and how did you show her what was the what was the process that you showed her what was the site that she you had her go to okay have you when's the last time you spoke to her okay did she did she mention anything to you about have you have you received any checks or anything like from the US Treasury you got all your your unemployment okay who did they come from they came from the Department of Treasury and that was through what service unemployment okay all right and when was the last time you received one okay and when when was that when was the last time you received one okay yeah all right um You don't remember where you went through to apply for those right they came on they okay where did you where did you have her go to claim hers do you remember where you sent her to okay and did you cash all your checks at your bank or where did you take your checks too I got you so they went right into your account okay all right okay well we're here with her um she's here with a uh a fake check from the treasury so we're we're trying to figure out she's trying to basically throw you under the bus saying that you're the one that was the one that showed her how to do all this and and and get this and everything so she gave us your number and your name cuz she's trying to get herself out of trouble um so I wanted to contact you to kind of get get the information of uh what she's trying to tell us uhhuh yeah it's a fraudulent one that she's here with because we've researched it and we know what treasury checks look like um and we have H uh fraud investigators um that are here that are involved in all that stuff that are confirming that it is fraudulent and it's very obvious so that's what we're dealing right now so I just wanted to contact you kind of get your story uh to see what matched up with hers um and kind of go from there so I appreciate you talking with me all right thanks do you know what you want to do so I don't know I I don't know I been out there talking to the employees I don't know what you can talk an officer Dutchman about an officer 20 what I can tell you is between the two of them they have close to like 25 years experience like doing this type of stuff okay so like this isn't new what this right here is not new to them guys so they've done this deal with this before um I have a history with financial CR myself and in my experience professionally I can tell you right away that that's a check okay there's a lot of red flags here and again I'm not asking you any questions I'm I'm just telling you what I see okay unemployment will not send you have you ever received unemployment before never okay they'll not they won't send you a check that the days of that are are over that's probably about 15 years ago they issue checks okay that's one two they send you a debit card that debit card is pre-loaded with money go to an ATM they charge you a fee take your money out then use it accordingly okay one two the check would come from the state of Florida not from the US Treasury because you apply for who do you who you apply uh for my friend help me do your help your friend helped you apply through any employment so if we call unemployment right now there will be a record of you applying for an employment yeah you should there should be yeah okay so there would be a record of unemployment yeah unemployment okay cuz yeah the State of Florida would be the one issuing the check not uh when did you apply for unemployment it's been a minute like how long a year like a year two years and up to now what paperwork or what have you been waiting on like I never heard anything back so I really ain't too much to care about it okay um have you moved around since then then or no still been at the address in Quincy okay and you said that that that came in an envelope yes okay and then yeah cuz I asked these guys and they don't have the envelop so um possibly TOS probably did cuz the envelope was left on the counter okay all right I have to ask him about it um yeah so I don't know we're trying to figure this out so you spent a while talking to officer Dutchman here uh you spent a while talking to officer con who who Dr or who brought you here how did you get here I drove myself here you drove yourself in what car U malib who else was in the car with you my little brother he's gone M he left is there a reason that he left he had to go pick up my kids your kids okay all right um I thought that was the Mazda that was the other card I was in a malal you're in a Mal okay there wasn't anything about a Nissan you you guys didn't come in a Nissan okay all right well that's fair um and where are your kids at they're getting picked up on they went to the after school program at the daycare okay cuz we was late picking them up from the school all right and then where did they go to school they go to school at sa pH where's that at it's over on on okay did you text him in your phone to go get he already knew to go get no so you didn't mess him or anything all right well miss hick um based off of what we have here okay you're under arrest can I call some um what do you want to call let's go ahead and get you hand we'll call get the okay well yes we we'll let you sorry do you got another pair of I'm going put another pair of handcuffs on you cuz he got shorter arms and I don't want these to to be up okay for possession of for as the woman was being escorted to the police vehicle an officer noticed the envelope in her pocket before get in my car you have anything that's going to poke me S sticky no nothing illegal oh here's the oh that says FIS output Solutions that's not from the US Treasury I can tell you that so you have a Wells Fargo ATM card that's my Sav that's a savings account yeah it's basically why couldn't you take it th of in a saving account because the money into the sa account because that's the wrong part okay all right go ahead and take a seat yeah you're going to have to kind of reach in he like it's like this mud like I'm going slide if I I'll hold on to you all right get up call somebody who do you want to call my brother your brother all right no yet can call my brother and my sister just case hello hello where you at oh well can you I am going to go to jail so can you let my auntie don't know anybody yeah but I have to explain it to you later all right hey I'm going to um they F to transport me to the jail let Z know the part my car I said they F to transport me to the jail let Z know the part that car what they talking about what what you said the charge was it's um what was the charge of again the possession of fraudulent instrument false instrument uttering uttering um wa three grand and attempted Grand Theft yes it uh she attempted to cash a fraudulent check for $24,000 uh yeah they they'll they'll give her access to her phone at the jail to write numbers down all right she was arrested and charged with Grand Theft and uttering forged instruments then transported to to jail for booking all right