Man accused of theft, forgery after cashing fraudulent check in Stewartville

(ABC 6 News) – The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office said a man cashed a fraudulent check at a Stewartville bank in December.

The sheriff’s office said the CEO of the bank reported the incident to the sheriff’s office on February 11, but it had actually happened on December 22, 2021.

The CEO told deputies the check was written from one company to another but it had been changed and made out to an individual instead. The deputy investigated the name from the check and found two other theft/forgery reports that had been made by the Rochester Police Department.

The deputy was able to talk with the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Joseph Gehring, over the phone. Gehring initially said he may have altered the check but then changed his story and said it would be impossible to change because it was written in ink.

Gehring may face a charge of making or offering forged checks.