3 arrested in alleged check fraud case

A tip, license plate photo technology and a short foot chase led to felony forgery and drug charges for three individuals in Cape Girardeau, two of whom are from out of state.

The Cape Girardeau Police Department stated in a news release that on Thursday, June 15, officers responded to the 200 block of South Mount Auburn Road regarding an alleged attempted check fraud case.

As they began investigating the crime, the department was alerted to a potential fraud occurring at a second location a block away.

When they arrived at the second location, officers took Jacob Morrison, 29, of Cape Girardeau into custody, the release said.

The officers then tracked the suspected vehicle associated with the other suspects, using the department's "FLOCK" camera system, which can check for stolen or suspect license plates in a nationwide camera database.

Zichia Gross

Zichia Gross

Cape Girardeau police tracked the vehicle to the 100 block of Cape West Parkway. As the officer approached the vehicle, Karree Banks, 26, of Jonesboro, Georgia, fled on foot, but was apprehended, according to the news release. Two other occupants of the vehicle were detained. The driver was identified as Zichia Gross, 21, of Madison, Wisconsin.

The Cape Girardeau County prosecutor's office charged Morrison with two counts of forgery and possession of a controlled substance, all of which are Class D felonies. Banks was charged with two counts of forgery and resisting arrest, a Class E felony. Gross was charged with two counts of forgery.