MITCHELL – A Bedford woman was arrested on felony theft, check fraud, and forgery charges.
Police arrested 38-year-old Tonya Johnson after Mitchell Police officers began an investigation on November 11, 2022.
Police received two separate reports that someone had stolen their blank checks from their vehicles and later had written checks out to a number of businesses. Two large checks were written to Arthur Truck and Trailer Repair in Mitchell in the amounts of $2,400 and $4,890. Other checks were written to Verizon for $705.80, the City of Mitchell for $484.70, and another for $2,984,70 along with many others. The approximate sum of stolen checks totaled $16,385.80.
Both victims, hauled for Lehigh Cement Company which is now Heidelberg Materials and reported they had parked their trucks at Arthur Truck and Trailer Repair and also had been to the business in the past for minor repairs to their vehicles. They believe their checks were stolen from their vehicles while parked at that business.
Police attempted to speak to Tonya Johnson who refused to give a voluntary statement, but she did admit she was in charge of the books and payments at the Arthur Truck and Trailer Repair. She blamed her niece for stealing the checks and then cashing them. Police asked about security footage for the business and she stated the cameras were not working.
Police then spoke to bank officials and they reported that the business’s past bookkeeper Sheila Arthur had a warning on the Arthur Truck and Trailer Repair business account preventing her daughter Tonya Johnson from making any transactions with the business account due to past incidents. However, Sheila Arthur passed away in 2020 and that’s when Johnson took over the company’s bookkeeping responsibilities. The fraudulent transactions have been tracked to have started after Sheila’s death.
On December 27, 2022, at 11:45 a.m. investigators were granted a search warrant for Arthur
Truck and Trailer Repair. On January 1, 2023, that warrant was served at 1:59 p.m. During the search, items associated with business transactions were seized including cell phones. Police found evidence the crimes were committed by Johnson.
Police again spoke to Tonya Johnson who invoked her rights and requested an attorney.
