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Ex-CUC employee slapped with forgery, theft charges
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Posted on Nov 14 2005
A Commonwealth Utilities Corp. allegedly forged a check Tuesday night last week before resigning from his employment with the utility firm the following day, police said yesterday.
Police said 27-year-old Gary Lee Castro Pangelinan used a check payable to him to purchase merchandise from the Roshi’s Department Store, but verification showed that the check had actually been paid to the CNMI Treasury in the amount of $28.28.
Haresh Daryanari of Roshi’s suspected the forgery after Pangelinan used two checks in the amounts of $462 and $2,625.38 to purchase assorted merchandise from the department store’s two outlets on Beach Road and Chalan Monsignor Guerrero Highway, both in San Jose, Saipan.
Investigation conducted by police detective Patrick Earl Maanao showed that Pangelinan purchased from the Beach Road outlet three pairs of shoes, six pairs of socks and a home entertainment system, all in the amount of $500, using one of the checks, after which the customer received some $2,000 in cash as change.
Pangelinan also allegedly went to the other outlet and used the other check to purchase assorted clothes in the amount of $160. He allegedly received some $300 in cash as change.
When Daryanari learned from his co-worker that there were actually two checks bearing the names of Pangelinan, he began to suspect a possible forgery. Daryanari then reported the matter to police that same night.
The following day, police telephoned CUC, which said that Pangelinan had just resigned from work that day.
Police charged Pangelinan with forgery and theft. In a hearing yesterday, Superior Court Presiding Judge Robert Naraja imposed a $3,000 bail on Pangelinan and directed the defendant to stay away from Roshi’s San Jose outlet.
The judge scheduled a preliminary hearing on the charges on Nov. 21 and set Pangelinan’s arraignment on Nov. 28. (John Ravelo)
