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Police Say Trio's Check Scam Enlisted Soup Kitchen Patrons

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 26, 2009

Updated: 03/26/2009 04:22 pm

Three people have been arrested this week on charges they enlisted men at a soup kitchen to cash fake checks at a store, St. Petersburg police say.

The checks were made out to the soup kitchen patrons, as if they were the legitimate employees of a plumbing company, police say.

Pamela Quarles, 39, of Tampa, drove the soup kitchen patrons to Teresa's Food Mart, 2601 30th Ave. N., according to Sgt. Kevin Smith and police affidavits. She was arrested Wednesday on charges of conspiracy, one count of marijuana possession and five counts of uttering a forged instrument.

Matthew Mickens, 26, also of Tampa, was also arrested Wednesday. He was charged with conspiracy, four counts of being a principal to uttering a forged instrument, one count of uttering a forged instrument, and one count of marijuana possession, according to Pinellas County jail records. Mickens was usually in the front passenger seat of the Ford Explorer used to transport the soup kitchen patrons, Smith said.

Willie Walker, 44, of Bradenton, was also arrested Wednesday. He was charged with five counts of being a principal to uttering a forged instrument, and one count of uttering a forged instrument, Pinellas jail records show.

Walker, who has several aliases, recruited the men at the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen in St. Petersburg, Smith said. He told them they could keep $50 after cashing checks for roughly $650, arrest affidavits say.

Walker would ask for the men's names, and arrangements would be made to pick them up later and transport them to the store, Smith said. The men would then cash checks made payable to them from the account of a plumbing company for which they ostensibly worked, Smith said. Sometimes, the soup kitchen patrons were dressed in orange vests to make them look legitimate, Smith said.

Walker would keep an eye out on the men cashing the checks to make sure they didn't run off with the money, Smith said. All told, about six people were enlisted to cash the checks, Smith said.

They, too, were arrested. Among those arrested and identified in jail affidavits were Robert Robinson, 55, who is unemployed; Larry Jones, 45, who also does not have a job; Reginald McRae, 42, a construction worker; Michael Teal, 44, another construction worker; and James Span, 50, who is unemployed. Each was charged with a count of uttering a forged instrument.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at spthompson@tampatrib.com or (727) 451-2336.

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