Check reported stolen, suspect sought

SAN ANTONIO — Police are searching for a man who is charged with illegally cashing a business check belonging to a Gonzales man.

At 5:01 p.m. June 7, Officer Travis Sowell met with a complainant at the Gonzales Police Department in reference to a report of use of fraudulent information, Capt. Allen Taylor reported.

The victim said he had made out a check from his company to another company for just over $2,700 and mailed it off. However, the receiving company never received the check, Taylor said.

“The victim said the check was cashed at a bank in San Antonio,” Taylor said.

Investigator Jason Montoya conducted an investigation in which he obtained the name, date of birth and driver’s license number of the suspect. He also got a photo of the suspect from Texas DPS records, as well as video of the suspect passing the check in San Antonio.

“The check was written by the victim on May 11,” Taylor said, “and passed on May 25. After obtaining the video footage from the bank transaction, the video was reviewed at [GPD]. It was found that the suspect passing the checks at the bank was the same person Montoya had already obtained the information on.”

This led to an arrest warrant being issued on June 20 for Michael James Sanchez of San Antonio, who is now charged with fraudulent use of identifying information.

Taylor said Sanchez has not yet been taken into custody, but has been entered into the Texas Crime Information Center as a wanted suspect.