Four local residents were indicted Friday in connection to a bad check scheme that the Juneau Police Department investigated last summer.
Prosecutors say the codefendants worked together to write bad checks to banks in Juneau and pocketed the cash while knowing the checks would not be honored by the bank. The checks were “bad” since they came from accounts that were either closed, frozen, blocked or had insufficient funds.
Carol A. Cropley, 25, Destiny S. Mathews-Beach, 30, Lacy L. Siverly, 24, and Richard A. Siverly III, 28, are all facing felony criminal charges for second-degree theft and issuing bad checks. Those are class ‘C’ felony offenses punishable by up to five years in jail each.
Prosecutors allege some members of the group obtained $8,700 from True North Federal Credit Union in late May and early June, and in another instance, $10,500 from Denali Alaska First Credit Union.
Two of the defendants, Lacy Siverly and Mathews-Beach, are also accused of writing bad checks to stores such as Super Bear Supermarket and Fairweather Gallery & Gifts.
In the Fairweather Gallery instance on July 17, prosecutors say a clerk accepted a bad check for about $1,200 for four silver bracelets. The store spoke with Siverly, who promised to return the merchandise, but the bracelets were never returned, according to an affidavit. Police later searched a database of pawn shop transactions and discovered she had pawned the four bracelets the same day, the affidavit states.
The affidavit also alleges Siverly also wrote two bad checks totalling about $360 to Foggy Mountain Shop to purchase two coats on July 2.
The District Attorney’s Office charged the four via criminal information in January. Now that an indictment has been handed up, the cases will be transferred to Juneau Superior Court. They are scheduled to be arraigned before Judge Louis Menendez on Wednesday afternoon.
Court documents show they all have attorneys. Cropley is represented by Timothy Ayer; Mathews-Beach is represented by Thomas Collins, Lacy Siverly is represented by Julie Willoughby and Richard Siverly is represented by Kirsten Swanson.
• Contact reporter Emily Russo Miller at 523-2263 or at emily.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (45)
Add commentCurious
How does someone cash a check at a bank for $10k given todays technology and instant transfer? Seems odd. Heck, write a check at Walmart and the money is out of your account by the time you get home.
Something new every day!!
Yesterday it was high tech computer hacking of pornography, today it's banking. There are endless opportunities for Juneau's youth!
snagger
they are not Youths, they are ages 24-30. Creepy adult people.
OK.....
Twenty-Somethings!!!!
I'm curious. If I try to
I'm curious. If I try to cash a bank check over a couple thousand, the bank has a waiting period. How did these turkeys do that? I have great credit, a long history with my bank, and a lot of cash flow (unfortunately it just flows through and rarely stops for long), and I couldnt walk out with $10k same day...
Lacey Siverly
Just make sure you all know that this isn't the same "Lacey" as the nice gal who owns the nice coffee shop behind the gas station downtown across from the Federal Building.
People still write checks?
People still write checks?
The checks were probably
The checks were probably written for smaller amounts that accumulated over time. I know that most banks and credit unions don't put a hold on checks under $1,000, even though they really should.
Also it's Denali Alaskan *Federal Credit Union. Denali Alaskan First Credit Union doesn't exist, Empire......
Lacey Godkin
Lacey at the Capital Coffee shop is a sweetheart, nice of you to make sure that people were not confusing her into this John. Don't forget to tip your barista.
It is odd that these four were able to write bad checks to the bank. Some stores do not have the system to deposit checks automatically like they were a debit card; but a bank?
Advice....
...to their attorneys: Don't take checks.
Lacy
Check out her FB. Apparently she is pregnant and has a few other kids. It's sad to know the new child will be born in jail. And yes, it's crazy to believe it took so long to figure this scam out!
checks?
I thought most places in town didn't take checks? How did they manage this?
My grandpa doesn't
use his debit card. Actually we were in Costco last week and he thought he couldn't pay because he forgot his checkbook. I helped him use "that card" for the first time. People like this make it so local businesses and banks have to crack down on the honor system that writing checks requires if certain security measures aren't in place. At least Alaska is finally prosecuting these cases.
I'd prefer good checks or cash
over credit/debit cards, the bank/process/trans/electronic/bs# fees cost me 3% of the sale, for what? New law say I can pass that along to my customers, I'm considering it.... These scammers found a hole in the credit union check policies.
In this fish bowl...
...they would sooner get away with sticking a bank up than passing bad paper. And we've seen how well that works out.
State of Alaska Lack of native hire.
The State of Alaska work force is 15,000. Only 6 percent or 900 jobs are native hire. State population consist of around 17 percent Alaskan Native. The Governor is happy that the state has acheived their 20 percent minority hire. If the Governor forced the State of Alaska Departments to hire Alaskan natives to match the native poplation percentage of Alaska to even 15 percent native hire that would mean 1,350 more Alaskan Natives would have jobs. For a total of 2,250 total jobs. This way Natives would not have to steal from the rich and give to the poor.
Thank you.
Robin Hood.
Off subject
Not condoning these local crooks;
If a common person steals from a bank, they go to jail.
If banks steal from common people, they get a government bail out.
Stealing is stealing and I wish EVERYONE could be held accountable and to the same standards.
@wolfpack
I'm sorry, but your assertion about lack of Native hire strikes me as a combination of "reverse racism" and just plain old racism.While the state doesn't specify a larger percentage of jobs be specifically "Native hire," it in no way bars qualified Natives from applying (affirmative action still exists, I might add). Native hire makes perfect sense in Native organizations like SEAlaska, but it is my personal opinion that at a certain point, Native preference in general state jobs can become unfair to non-Native applicants.
What you're doing is making excuses for these people and their crime based on their race, which should be irrelevant in this particular discussion. They didn't do this because they'r Native and can't find jobs; they did it because they don't have respect for the law or themselves.
PaperclipTripper
They are just facts that I am stating and if you are already getting worked up about it then your mom or dad must have gotten you YOUR job with the State. lol. I know several state workers who get their friends or their children jobs at the state. So don't pull the "reverse racism" card on me. I am just calling it as i see it. NO LIES. JUST THE TRUTH. If you can't handle the truth that sucks for you, my friend. As far as "Sealaska" or any other native corp, I would gladly give all that back for my rights to paddle my own canoe and rebuild my families subsistance camp up in Glacier Bay.
P.S. Do you think Robin Hood was actually supposed to be Robin of the Hood? It just makes "cents". LOL
Wolfpack is opening a can of
Wolfpack is opening a can of worms he or she shouldn't have opened. I support native, or shareholder, preference within tribal organizations, but outside of that, any job should be given to the most qualified applicant. If your concern is about the unemployment rate among Alaska natives, you might want to look closer at the numbers. How many of those listed as unemployed live in villages where jobs are scarce? How many of those listed as unemployed haven't obtained skills or training to make themselves a viable candidate for a job? Several times I week I get people from the Alaskan native community coming to my office under the guise of looking for work. The bring in a sloppy, hand-written, generic application, usually from the Job Service office. They might attach a resume that is full of poor spelling and/or typos. Their verbal communication skills are nearly as bad as their ability to write. Often times, when I review these applications and resumes, I see that the applicant has completed some job skills classes through the T&H Votec. Is this really the quality of the applicant that T&H is putting out? Finally, when they are ready to leave they ask me to sign off on some form from T&H that says they've applied for a position. I haven't figured out what this form is all about.
That being said, this isn't an issue unique only within the Alaska native community. My issue with some of the Alaska native organizations is that they seem to be more dedicated to getting shareholders their dividends than they are in educating these people. The old adage about teaching a man to fish comes to mind. I'd estimate more than 75% of the people applying for jobs with me aren't even worth a call back, and these aren't high level jobs. Many of them are entry level customer service positions. Our education system, including public schools and vocational training facilities is failing all of us.
Akbrdguru is very right
It's not about race anymore. It's about who cares enough to teach and learn to achieve the jobs that are out there. In my job I see so many people who are native living off of ssi all cause a parent says they have some kind of mental disorder and says it to their kids so much they believe it themselves so there for on one front they don't need work when they get ssi. Then that paper the guy says they ask him to sign is so these people can get free money from t&h for rent or bills. They sale their food stamp cards to get drugs and booze then go in for free money at t&h and all they require is looking for a job. So this group of people instead of actually getting a 9-5 job found a loop hole in the bank system to steal money instead of working. It's pure laziness and honestly blame them their parents and the tribal government for that. Maybe if they would crack down on who gets what it would force them to work.
funny
Its funny how there are four people involved yet everyone only attacks one...... I know all four and I am suprised not more is being said of the others.
Its our system
The King and his far left cronies have really reinforced the notion that if you're of color, or some type of minority, you have been ripped off and are owed. You haven't been given enough so, like Wolf, you complain. These jokers kiting the checks, I'm sure they feel the same way. I'm sure they're all "entitled" to public defenders funded by the taxpayer of course.
this is in no way
in relation to there being a lack of job opportunities for minorities.
This is about people who decided to cheat the system but as usual got caught. I HIGHLY doubt they were giving back to the poor!
If you traded it all...
...you'ld be paddling your canoe on a reservation (like many of my relatives) and it probably wouldn't be at Glacier Bay, but at a tract of land and/or water assigned to you by the federal government. But, you'ld get more money than your corporation doles out in dividends. Free housing, medical, salt pork... Only Red Cloud benefits from any Red Cloud agency. Quit whining.
Thank you sir.
Yes it is our education system that is failing. WE as a nation is ranked 27th in the world for education. 27TH! Should we agree on a four day work week for our teachers? Is Three months off for summer good for children? China makes their children go to school 8 hours a day and five to six days a week. Some students go less so they can work. Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of great teachers. I just think more money should be pumped into our education systems instead of other useless things like premium healthcare for our Senators and Congressmen. I think they should have the same Healthcare plan as the average american.
Robin of the Hood.
robinhood
I know the whole group personally and Richard was the only one of the bunch that ever worked. Lacy and the crew are addicts. Tlingit and haida needs to investigate them and more charges of fraud would be added to their ledgers. Lacy had once gone to jail using a false name while being pulled over on a suspected dui stop. She used her sisters name until she was notified by jpd that the name she'd used had an outstanding warrant for her sisters arrest. These are no angels by any means and hopefully because of lacys last indictment she testified in had been proven bogus, hopefully she will DO HER OWN TIME
All dislikes.
I see no one likes the truth. I went thru and gave a dislike to everyone because I want to be fair to everyone. lol. We have come along way, but there is still some social segragation. I appreciate everyone who look someone in the eye and smile as they walk by. As I will do the same to all people whether they are white, Black, latino, Asian or North Korean (tough one right now). lol
Robin of the Hood.
@wolfpack
Quit throwing blind insults, assinine lol's, and misspellings at us all---and maybe open up a book? Your arguments don't make sense, you sound like you're sixteen years old, and maybe even really high right now.
PS I don't work for the state. Not that it matters.
lacy and the crew are part of
The wolfpack