LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Two local men were arrested this week for defrauding a local credit union of thousands of dollars, with one of the men attempting to escape from police by crawling through the attic of his apartment building.
Arrested in the case were 20-year-old Steven Jeffrey Harrington of Upper Lake and Christopher Scott Herring, 24, of Kelseyville, according to Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen.
Rasmussen said the investigation began on Wednesday afternoon, after police received a report of a female subject at Mendo Lake Credit Union attempting to cash checks totaling $8,500. The woman did not get the money.
He said a similar case involving about $10,000 in fraudulent checks being passed had just occurred, and police believed that the two incidents were part of a scam.
Police determined that the woman was going to meet a second person who would take delivery of the cash. They monitored the situation, tracked her to a city gas station and a male subject showed up, expecting to get the $8,500 that the woman had attempted to get at the bank, he said.
Rasmussen said police contacted the individual, identified as Harrington, and started questioning him, developed information that he was involved in fraud and took him into custody.
Harrington was arrested and booked at the Lake County Jail on felony grand theft, with bail set at $15,000, according to jail records.
Due to the concern by police that Harrington would attempt to post bail using the $8,500 found in his possession, Rasmussen said they contacted the District Attorney's Office and completed a declaration, which was signed by a judge, for a source of bail motion to prevent him from posting bail until the court could determine the source of the bail money.
In conjunction with that action, the District Attorney's Office requested a bail enhancement to $150,000, which was granted, Rasmussen said.
During the investigation, Rasmussen said they found that there were additional checks written on a closed account that had already been run through the credit union before Dec. 7, bringing the total loss to the credit union of nearly $14,000.
Investigators also determined that, in addition to Harrington, another man – 24-year-old Christopher Scott Herring of Kelseyville, who also goes under the alias of Christopher Garcia – was involved, Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen said the two men had hired a woman to cash the checks, adding that police believe she was unaware of the fraud.
Rasmussen said his investigators received intelligence that Herring was living at the Meadow Point Apartments on Gaddy Lane in Kelseyville.
He said they also discovered during a background of Herring – who they believe originally is from Clearlake – that he was a wanted parole absconder out of the state of South Dakota, where he had served prison time for forgery and upon release left the state. South Dakota has issued a full extradition arrest warrant for him as a result.
Police additionally developed information that Herring might have two handguns, Rasmussen said.
Due to the fact that Herring is a wanted felon, a large amount of cash was missing, he was believed to have guns and previously had threatened a witness in the local fraud case, Rasmussen said they decided to take three Lakeport Police staff and met with a few sheriff's sergeants and a deputy at the apartment complex on Thursday afternoon. There, they planned to interview Herring as part of a warrant service and search of the apartment.
Just before 3:45 p.m. Thursday, officers arrived at Herring's apartment, knocked on the door and demanded entry to perform a parole search, but got no response, Rasmussen said.
After determining the door was locked, Rasmussen said his officers forced entry, cleared the first rooms of the apartment and then could hear noises in a back room, which they believed was his bedroom and might be where he had the firearms.
Rasmussen said they continued to give orders for Herring to come out but he did not. Shortly after 4 p.m., the officers gained entry to the bedroom and finished clearing the apartment, finding Herring was gone.
When they looked inside the closet, they found that Herring had punched a hole through the drywall. At that point, they believed Herring had climbed up into the attic, Rasmussen said.
Due to concerns that he could access other units – other apartment complex residents reported hearing him overhead – or get out through the complex's ventilation system, Rasmussen said his officers briefly evacuated the entire 12-unit complex, having tenants who were at home move across the parking lot for safety.
Just before 4:35 p.m., Central Dispatch advised Rasmussen that Herring had called in on the 911 line on his cell phone. He asked that police move out of his apartment so he could come out and surrender, stating that he didn't have any weapons.
Rasmussen said he had the call transferred to his cell phone, and he began directly communicating with Herring, advising him police would not leave his apartment but that if he followed instructions and came out with his hands up, he would be peacefully and safely taken into custody.
“He advised me he would,” said Rasmussen.
Rasmussen handed his cell phone over to Lt. Jason Ferguson, who kept Herring on the line. They instructed him to put his phone in his pocket and to come out with his hands visible.
Herring emerged from the apartment complex's attic through his closet, and did as he was ordered, Rasmussen said.
“I ordered him to the ground and we took him into custody,” said Rasmussen.
During a further search of the premises, officers found two BB or pellet pistols that looked like real firearms, and also recovered numerous items of evidence related to the investigation, Rasmussen said.
What hasn't been found yet is the nearly $14,000 in cash that Herring is being charged with taking through fraud, according to Rasmussen.
Rasmussen said the investigation is ongoing with an extensive amount of followup necessary. Reports on the case aren't expected to be ready to submit to the District Attorney's Office until Monday morning.
Herring was booked on Thursday into the Lake County Jail on a misdemeanor charge of obstructing or resisting a peace officer, and felonies of making terrorist threats, attempting to dissuade a witness, forgery, grand theft and a fugitive from justice warrant, which has resulted in him being held without bail, according to jail records.
Rasmussen said he's not yet discussed with the District Attorney's Office whether they will let Herring be extradited to South Dakota or proceed with a case against him here, after which he would be returned to South Dakota.
As for the unusual nature of the case so far, Rasmussen noted, “We can't make this stuff up.”
Correction: A previous version of the story had indicated that the woman cashing the checks on Wednesday had succeeded in getting $8,500. However, she did not get that additional money, police said.
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