A man accused of stealing blank checks belonging to a company that was closed in 2004, and allegedly cashing those checks for personal use in the amount of $3,050 is being held in police custody on bail of $20,000.

Walter Reid has been charged with stealing and felonious passing of bad checks, both felony charges. The defendant made his initial appearance in the District Court this week, and he is being represented by the Public Defender’s office.

According to the government’s case, this matter was reported to the police back in 2014. It's alleged that on September 23, 2014 the police were assigned to investigate  bad checks being passed, as reported by an Asian man, who owns the FL Store in Vailoa.

Court filings say that in October 2014 the complaining witness told the police that Reid passed six bad checks on an account under a business that has been closed with the bank since 2004. Six checks were written out to the store between May 29, 2014 and June 5, 2014. The check amounts were $700, followed by $400; $150; $400; $900 and $500.

According to the government’s case, the police also spoke to the owner of the company that the checks belonged to, who stated that the company has been closed since 2004 and the account was closed the same year. The man further told police that he did not authorize Reid to use the checks and was unaware as to how the defendant had obtained the checks.

In January 2015 police spoke to the defendant after he was advised of his rights, which he waived. Defendant claims that he received the checks from the wife of the owner of the closed company. It's alleged that the defendant admitted to filling out the checks and passing the checks to the store in Vailoa.

The next day the investigator spoke to the wife of the owner of the closed company, who stated that the defendant had lived with them and that one day while cleaning the house she found the check book.

Court filings say the woman did not give any of the blank checks to Reid and did not know how he had obtained the checks.

During his status hearing before the District Court yesterday the defendant informed the court he wished to have a preliminary examination. This hearing is for the Judge to determine if the government has sufficient evidence to have this matter bound over to the High Court.

The bad checks in sum, count as a class D felony, which carries a jail term of up to five years in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, a fine equal to twice the amount of gain from the commission of said crime up to $20,000 — or both fine and imprisonment.

The stealing charge is a class C felony which is punishable with up to seven years in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, a fine equal to twice the amount of gain from the commission of said crime up to $20,000 or both fine and imprisonment.