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Man arrested for allegedly buying items using forged checks
A man was arrested on Thursday in Kagman 3 for allegedly buying items at some stores on Saipan using forged checks he claimed issued to him by a disbarred lawyer.
Franklin Sablan Quitaneg, 26, was taken to Superior Court on Friday on charges of forgery, misuse of credit cards, issuance of bad checks, and theft.
Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho imposed a $500 cash bail and $4,500 unsecured bond.
Chief public defender Douglas Hartig was appointed as counsel for Quitaneg. Preliminary hearing will be on April 21 at 9am.
Police Detective Daniel Joab stated in his report that a police officer responded last Monday, April 11, to XO Market in Gualo Rai, where a misuse of bad check happened.
Quitaneg allegedly bought some items using a check belonging to attorney Stephen Woodruff in the amount of $600.
According to the manager of XO Market, last April 9 Quitaneg purchased some groceries using a check belonging to Woodruff and payable to him.
The manager said when she examined the check it was from Union Bank of California.
The manager said on that same day when she accepted the check, her friend, who owns JJ Market in Koblerville, sent out a group text, telling them not to accept any check belonging to Woodruff and made payable to Quitaneg.
The manager said Woodruff came to her store last Monday and told her not to accept any similar checks because the account is no longer valid and that he is no longer using that account.
Joab said he went to JJ Market on Thursday and was told that Quitaneg came last April 9 and used a check belonging to Woodruff in the amount of $600 that was made payable to him.
The employee told Quitaneg that she cannot accept the check because it’s from out of state.
Quitaneg stated that the check is good that can be used at First Hawaiian Bank on Saipan.
Quitaneg stated that he works for Woodruff.
The defendant also allegedly used the same checks at JJ Market, Green Consume II in Chalan Laulau, Shun Fu Market in Gualo Rai, and Blue Sky Market in Chalan Piao.
