Palmer Businesses Scammed in Check Scheme

A Bethlehem man has been arraigned on charges that he stole payroll checks from Magnetic Windings Co., a Palmer Township company.

Daniel Jonathan Rodriguez, 21, of 209 Columbia St., was arraigned before District Judge Jacqueline Taschner Wednesday on charges of forgery and theft by deception.

On April 23, Palmer Police Officers James Taylor and Sgt. Timothy Ruoff met with Albert Maroon and Edward Rossner of Magnetic Windings Co. on Freemansburg Avenue and officials from .

Maroon told police he also manages Easton Self Storage, located at the same address.

Maroon reported to police several fraudulent and counterfeit checks containing account and routing numbers from Magnetic Windings that had been stolen.

The checks were numbered 1134, 1135, 1136 and 1137.

The payroll checks contained the correct numbers from the company and bank, court records indicate.

Four checks from the Easton Storage account had also been taken, company officials reported to authorities.

The routing numbers listed a non-existent company, Inspiron, located on Reese Drive in Freemansburg. Maroon provided authorities with copies of those fraudulent checks.

By April 30, police had confirmed that 19 checks were cashed with a combined value of $13,482.98 from the Magnetic Windings account.

On April 19, an Easton Self Storage check was cashed.  Authorities said that check, Check No. 1136, stated "Pay to the Order Of" Daniel Rodriguez and was cashed for $2,732.

Rodriguez presented, endorsed and cashed that check at a check cashing facility, Ron Helmuth Ent. Inc., on Stefko Boulevard in Bethlehem.

He presented a driver's license with his date of birth and a thumbprint.

Authorities confirmed his identity after a driver's license check. A photograph taken when Rodriguez cashed the check also matched his identity.

He was being held on $25,000 bail.

The foregoing arrest information was supplied by District Judge Jacqueline Taschner's office. It does not indicate a conviction.