Auto Marine owner asks community to be on lookout for stolen checks

A concerned business owner is asking the community to be aware and very careful when cashing in checks as there are a number of them in circulation that have been stolen.

In a conversation with business owner Adonis Santos last Monday, he told the media that his shop, Auto Marine in Lower Base, Puerto Rico, had been the target of not one but two burglaries, and both times, aside from valuables taken, the thieves had specifically aimed for the company’s checkbooks.

“Twice they already burglarized our office, and they took a lot of company checks. There’s Auto Marine, Max Marine, AM Machine Shop, and Aquaville. So, I just want to address to the community that if somebody is changing these checks, please be aware that this are stolen checks.” said Santos

Santos told the media that the first break-in occurred on April 14 and the second on May 25 this year. Both break-ins happened at night with entries made at the front door after the thieves used a bolt cutter to bypass the locks and chains. Along with the numerous checks, the thieves also took the company’s typewriter, four underwater cameras, a printer and copy machine, and several power tools

Even more interesting, the thieves also grabbed several paper documents, including Santos’ captain license. He shared that it may have been the reference to forge his signature.

On the bright side, Santos shared that due to a concerned citizen they were able to recover several of the missing items like the typewriter, several of the stolen documents, his captain’s license, and some of the checks from their companies. He also shared his gratitude toward the Department of Public Safety, as DPS has been not only very helpful, but continue to search for the check thieves.

He shared that there are several leads but as it is an ongoing investigation, he was not able to disclose all the details. What he did share was they were able to locate five of the checks, which unfortunately have already been cashed, at an estimated amount of $3,500. He shared that DPS is currently looking into the names listed as the checks’ recipients, and have already pinned one suspect.

His message to community members and business partners is, “I just want to make aware the businesses that are cashing checks, to make sure that the checks are good…they can call us at (670) 286-1029 or at (670) 233-2916 to verify if the check is good or not. The company name is Auto Marine Inc., Aquaville Inc., Max Marine, and AM Machine Shop.”