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City man accused of taking checks, cash

A lost wallet has landed an Altoona man in jail.

Erashad H. Adams, 21, was arrested Friday by Altoona police after he allegedly stole two signed checks and cash from a wallet left at the Altoona Area Public Library.

According to charges filed by Altoona police, the wallet was turned into the library staff just before 2 p.m. Friday, but when the owner retrieved it, he noticed $200 was missing along with two bank cards and two blank, signed checks.

When police spoke to a teller at the bank where the victim had his account, the teller said a man matching the description of Adams had just tried to cash a check.

The teller told police the check didn’t look genuine and wasn’t filled out completely. The check was dated Nov. 2, 2018, and looked “old and worn,” according to the charges.

The teller knew the account holder and refused to cash the check. Police said the check was made out to Erashad Adams for $150 and the handwriting didn’t match the signature.

Police noted there was video surveillance from the library that showed Adams taking the wallet from where the victim had left it.

Adams was taken into custody by Altoona Area School District police about 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Sheetz store at Seventh Avenue and 17th Street. He allegedly had the other check on him as well as a credit card and two bank cards belonging to the wallet’s owner.

Adams was booked on a felony charge of forgery and misdemeanor counts of possession of access device belonging to another person, theft and receiving stolen property.

Bail was set Friday night at $25,000 cash by Magisterial District Judge Paula Aigner, and Adams remains in Blair County Prison. A preliminary hearing is slated for Sept. 18 at Central Court.

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