$2 cheque was altered to read $120,000—police

Press, 3 February 1987, Page 9

$2 cheque was altered to read $120,000— police

PA Dunedin A man who altered a $2 cheque to $120,000 appeared in the District Court at Dunedin on five charges involving fraud. August Alexander Wilson, aged 30, a freezing worker and former customs officer, was remanded to February 25 after pleading guilty to one charge of attempted fraud, three charges of using fraud to obtain financial gain, and one charge of obtaining money by false pretences. The charges were that Wilson attempted to defraud the New Zealand Post Office of $120,000, he fraudulently used three cheques valued at more than $BO,OOO for his own financial gain, and he obtained $15,000 by falsely representing he could obtain a quantity of toy bears held by the Customs Department.

Wilson’s attempt to fraudulently obtain $120,000 was made at Naseby, Sergeant Steve Armitage said. He told the Court the defendant attempted to deposit the cheque in his Post Office account on or about January 6.

When the postmistress at Naseby took the cheque from Wilson she noticed the original figures were covered with typewriter correction fluid and the amount of $120,000 had been overwritten. It was later discovered the cheque was originally written out for $2.

When spoken to by the police, Wilson, who has no previous convictions, said he had been given the cheque by a business associate as proceeds from a land sale. But he later admitted altering the cheque because he had debts.

He told the police he burnt the cheque to avoid further temptation.