WARSAW — Officers with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department say an Indianapolis man stole a check and created a new one in his name for the same amount before cashing the forged check at a check-cashing company.

Patrick D. Wessels

Patrick D. Wessels, 29, 115 Wisconsin St., Indianapolis, is charged with fraud on a financial institution, a level 5 felony; forgery, a level 6 felony; and theft, a level 6 felony.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, police received a call from an employee of Lake City Bank who reported a construction company had lost a check. According to the report, the construction company representative told the bank employee that a check was written to another corporation for $1,623.70 and sent in the mail.

The reporting party told the bank that the check had been sent in the mail but had been stolen and a new check created with the original check’s banking information.

The intended recipient of the check never received the payment. After the check cleared the bank, the bank employee provided a copy of the check to the police. The check copy, according to the police report, was endorsed by Wessels.

Wessel told police by phone that he received the check as payment for plowing snow. The representative of the company issuing the original check told police that snow plowing is not part of their business and that Wessels is not an employee.

An initial hearing date has not yet been set for Wessels.