Cape man arrested, faces multiple counts
An investigation by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes Unit has led to the arrest of Walter Wayne Weed Jr., 37, of Cape Coral. The investigation revealed that Weed intentionally defrauded multiple individuals to obtain nearly $6,000 in property by using fraudulent checks between August and September 2008, deputies said.
On Tuesday, Jan. 13, at approximately 5 p.m., Weed was charged with one felony count of communications fraud/scheme to defraud, eight felony counts of writing worthless checks, seven felony counts of grand theft and one misdemeanor count of petit theft.
Over the two-month span, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office reportedly received numerous complaints regarding multiple worthless checks that had been written for more than $150. The complainants told investigators the checks had been used to purchase merchandise from various locations throughout Southwest Florida, but were returned due to being written on closed accounts.
Due to the nature of the complaints, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Economic Crimes Unit assumed the investigation.
The victims in each incident reportedly identified Weed as the suspect and presented legal copies of each worthless check he wrote. Detectives learned that during the two-month span in which he was active, Weed presented multiple checks written on a closed account to purchase items ranging from a 14K diamond ring, a laptop computer and bedding, to a 14-week-old blue American pit-bull terrier puppy.
During the investigation, detectives contacted representatives of Fifth-Third Bank who confirmed that Weed’s account closed during mid-July 2008.
Anyone who may have been victimized by Weed is asked to contact the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at (239) 477-1000.