CAPE MECHANIC CHARGED WITH THEFT

A Cape Girardeau man has been charged with posing as the owner of an automotive business in order to steal a check for $2,500, police said.

Gary R. Frey, 47, was arrested for the class C felony of stealing by deceit, Lt. Dennis Dolan said.

Frey, who resides at 1402 Big Bend Rd., has worked as a mechanic for a local dealership. But he also found work independently for various other car dealers, said Patrick LaFont, owner of LaFont Auto Sales at 402 S. Kingshighway.

The theft occurred from a job that Frey had performed for a customer of LaFont, the car dealer said.

Police records state that Frey had posed as the owner of LaFont Auto Sales. He contacted Gateway Management Services, a warranty company, as LaFont and said he had not received a check for $2,508.18. Frey asked the warranty company to stop payment on the original check they had issued, and send out a new check.

The warranty company complied, sending a check payable to Kingsway Auto Services, another company owned by LaFont.

Frey then told an employee of LaFont that the owner had given him permission to receive the check, Dolan said.

The suspect then took the check to First National Bank, where he opened up an account under the name of Kingsway Auto Services and deposited the check.

Frey has posted a cash bond of $5,000 and will appear before Associate Circuit Judge Gary Kamp today, Swingle said.