Easton Man Charged in Check Cashing Scheme

A third person – this one possibly a key player – has been charged in a counterfeit checks scheme involving Magnetic Windings Co. Inc. of  Palmer Township, 19 phony payroll checks worth more than $13,000 and at least eight people cashing the checks. None of the check cashers appear to be company employees.

The latest suspect, Alexander Cedano, 42, of Easton was implicated by a man charged earlier this month. The man said he saw Cedano making checks “in the past” and that Cedano told him he would obtain bank numbers for the checks from a Magnetic Windings employee, according to court records.

The checks carried the phony business name of "Inspiron" and a phony address in Freemansburg – 1722 Reese Drive (Magnetic Windings is on Freemansburg Avenue in Palmer). Also, Freemansburg is misspelled as “Freemamnsburg.”

However, the account and routing numbers match those of Magnetic Windings’ payroll account with PNC Bank in Palmer Township.

A probable cause affidavit filed by Palmer police Sgt. Timothy G. Ruoff of the criminal investigation division mostly concerns three checks totaling $2,297.22 that Cedano allegedly gave to a Newark, N.J., man to cash. The checks were made payable to the Newark man.

The man was taken into custody earlier this month by Phillipsburg police. He has not been charged in connection with the check scheme, according to the office of of Palmer Township.

But the man talked to Palmer police on May 17 – the day Ruoff found out he was in custody. He admitted to cashing the three checks, which he said he received from a person he knows as “Alex.” He said Alex gave him the checks and drove him to Wal-Marts to cash them.

The affidavit identifies two -- the store on Route 191 in Bethlehem Township and the store on Route 248 in Lower Nazareth Township. The checks were for $705.31, $787.72 and $804.19. The Newark man said Alex gave him a total of $550 from the checks ($200, $200 and 150) and that Alex kept the rest -- $1,747.22.

Meanwhile, Ruoff talked to Stephen George Weaver Jr., 38, who was charged earlier this month with cashing five checks. He admitted to Ruoff that he cashed the checks and said Cedano gave him the checks and drove him to stores to cash them. Weaver's address is listed as "unknown" on his criminal complaint.

Weaver said he saw Cedano making checks “in the past” and that Cedano told him he would obtain bank numbers from a Magnetic Windings employee. Weaver said Cedano has “numerous individuals” cashing checks for him.

The affidavit for Cedano says 19 counterfeit Inspiron checks worth $13,482.98 were cashed at various locations by eight “identified actors.” None of the identified actors “are or were” Magnetic Windings employees during the time period the checks were cashed, the affidavit says.

Weaver’s criminal complaint says nine different people had cashed the 19 checks.

Also charged earlier this month was Daniel Jonathan Rodriguez, 21, of 209 Columbia St., Bethlehem.

Cedano, of 356 W. Wilkes-Barre St., is facing the following charges: criminal solicitation to commit forgery, criminal solicitation to commit theft by deception, criminal solicitation to commit receiving stolen property, criminal conspiracy to commit forgery, criminal conspiracy to commit theft by deception, criminal conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property, receiving stolen property and two counts of forgery.

He was arraigned Tuesday night by Taschner, also the on-duty district judge this week. He was released on $50,000 unsecured bail.

Magnetic Windings, of 2711 Freemansburg Ave., specializes in the design and manufacture of custom transformers, power supplies and electronic assemblies for a wide range of commercial and military applications, according to the company website.