Crime & Safety

Easton Man Sought in Upper Macungie Check Cashing Scheme

Colonial Regional Police say Alexander Cedano, 43, was charged in a similar scheme last year involving a Palmer Township company.

Written by Jack Tobias

The detective working on a suspected counterfeit check scheme involving an Upper Macungie Township company confirmed the scheme’s alleged mastermind is the same man charged last year in a similar scheme involving a Palmer Township company.

Colonial Regional Det. Gary Hammer said Thursday that Alexander Cedano, 43, who had been living on Easton’s south side, is at large and that police are looking for him.

Hammer confirmed that charges he filed June 27, 2012 against Cedano involve the alleged counterfeit scheme that victimized Mesko Spotting Service Inc. of Upper Macungie.

The charges consist of 33 counts of forgery and 33 counts of conspiracy-theft by deception. Hammer learned there were 33 counterfeit Mesko Spotting checks cashed by “a variety of people,” court records say.

Cedano also is facing charges in a similar scheme that victimized Magnetic Windings Co. Inc. of Palmer Township and allegedly involved $13,000 in counterfeit checks that were cashed.

In the Mesko case, Hammer said Cedano worked for Mesko for two weeks, “long enough to get a paycheck.” He added, “Once he got the paycheck, he scanned it and started making [counterfeit] checks.”

Hammer said 14-15 people cashed counterfeit Mesko checks, with most cashing two checks. Each check was for about $400, he said.

That would put the amount of counterfeit Mesko checks that were cashed at around $11,000. Hammer said the check cashers “split the proceeds” with Cedano.

On Tuesday morning, Dorotea Maria Rojas, 20, no known address, was arraigned on charges that she cashed a $400 Mesko counterfeit check on Dec. 19, 2011.

The criminal complaint against Rojas–filed by Hammer–said Rojas cashed the check at the Walmart on Route 248 in Lower Nazareth Township. Lower Nazareth is part of Colonial Regional’s jurisdiction.

Most of the checks were cashed at the Lower Nazareth Walmart, while some were cashed at the Bethlehem Township Walmart, the complaint says.

One of the charges against Rojas–criminal conspiracy to commit forgery–says she “conspired with Alexander Cedano.” The charge also says “Cedano made or caused to be made a counterfeit check that he gave” to Rojas.

Hammer’s complaint against Rojas says he interviewed Cedano on May 29, 2012–around the time he was charged in the Magnetic Windings case—at Palmer Township police headquarters.

Cedano said Rojas “knew the check was counterfeit and shared in proceeds from cashing the check,” the complaint says.

The complaint also says that when Hammer asked Mesko Spotting official Tom Mesko if he had any ex-employees from Easton’s South Side, Mesko gave him Cedano’s name.

Hammer asked that question because a common link among the people cashing the counterfeit Mesko checks is that they were from Easton’s South Side, the complaint says.

A May 31, 2012 Patch story on the Magnetic Windings case listed Cedano’s address as 356 W. Wilkes-Barre St.–on the south side.

Hammer said Thursday that more people are expected to be charged in the Mesko scheme.

He said that before Cedano could be arraigned on the Mesko charges, he skipped bail on the Magnetic Windings charges.

”He’s wanted, we’re looking for him,” Hammer said, adding that bench warrants were issued in the Magnetic Windings case and an arrest warrant was issued in the Mesko case.

Online court records show that charges against Cedano in the Magnetic Windings case were held for county court action on Sept. 4, 2012 by District Judge Jackie Taschner of Palmer Township. The charges include forgery and criminal solicitation to commit forgery and theft by deception.

There is a reference in the Mesko complaint that says Cedano “had prior arrest by U.S. Secret Service for making counterfeit checks.” Hammer said Thursday that case involved Cedano’s alleged counterfeiting “while living in New Jersey.”

In the Magnetic Windings case, the alleged scheme included 19 phony payroll checks worth more than $13,000 with at least eight people cashing the checks, acccording the the charges. None of the check cashers appeared to be company employees.



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