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Four people have been arrested and a fifth is being sought in connection with a forgery and counterfeit check ring being investigated by the Caddo-Shreveport Financial Crimes Task Force, said Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator.

Some of the offenders are accused of cashing forged checks in exchange for a portion of the funds. At least one suspect is accused of cashing a counterfeit check using counterfeit identification. The loss from February to March is more than $19,000.

Caddo Sheriff’s Detective Clarissa Harris investigated the cases. She said the forged checks were legitimate banking documents that a closed business had discarded but then the checks fell into the wrong hands. The counterfeit check used the name of a legitimate business but falsified all other information to create the check.

Those arrested and their charges were:

Branden St. Clair, 31, of Shreveport, Forgery, (Image 1);

Laken Dance, 33, of Shreveport, Forgery, (Image 2);

Dominic Dechristofaro, 37, of Shreveport, Monetary Instrument Abuse, (Image 3); and

Takeyah Handy, 25, of Shreveport, Forgery, (Image 4). 

A warrant has been issued for Richard Maloch, 41, on charges of Forgery.