By Patricio G. Balona
The News-Journal
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia County Branch Jail commissary was ripped off by an inmate who passed a fake Volusia County Department of Corrections check with the county’s name misspelled, sheriff’s investigators said.
By the time officials realized the check from the “County of Voulisa” deposited by Ryan Athey on Sept. 10 was fake, Athey had already spent all the $350.24 in commissary purchases, a report shows.
Athey, 34, of Daytona Beach, was locked up Sept. 10 on charges of driving with a suspended license and attempting to flee and elude police. He was additionally charged Sept. 20 with grand theft and passing a counterfeit bank bill. He was being held without bail on Tuesday.
Athey admitted he knew the check was fake and that was why he had not attempted to cash it before being taken to jail, deputies said.
According to sheriff’s investigators, jail officials called the Sheriff’s Office 10 days after Athey was booked to report the fake check. It matched other fraudulent checks that had been used at a convenience store, investigators said.
Sheriff’s reports indicate that Volusia deputies possibly have a suspect they believe is distributing the false checks.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Andrew Gant said on Tuesday investigators have so far not been able to determine the source of the checks.
Investigating deputies said they believe it’s the same suspect from whom Timothy Korecky, 19, of Ormond Beach, obtained a fake check for $373.92, which he cashed at a Chevron gas station at 3624 W. International Speedway Blvd. on Sept. 16.
The owner of the convenience store tried cashing the check at her bank the next day and was told the draft was fake, deputies said.
On Sept. 18, Korecky again came to the store to cash another check. The alert store owner noticed that the check had the same misspelling for Volusia like the previous check — Voulisa — and called police, a report details.
Korecky ran from the store after the owner refused to cash the check or give him back his driver’s license. He was later found and booked into the jail Sept. 19 on charges of battery, resisting a transit agent and passing a counterfeit bank draft. He is free on $2,500 bail, court documents show.