Bemidji Man Charged in Alleged Check Forgery
Bemidji (trfnews.i234.me) — A Bemidji man faces a check forgery charge in Beltrami County District Court.
Jace William Griffis, 23, is charged with one gross misdemeanor count of check forgery.
The case is filed under court number 04-CR-26-1855.
The charge stems from a snow removal payment made on February 18, 2026.
Customer Reports Altered Check
According to the criminal complaint, a Bemidji woman hired Griffis for snow removal in December 2025.
The woman said Griffis removed snow from her property about three times.
She usually paid him $60 in cash for the work, according to the complaint.
On February 18, she instead paid Griffis with a $60 check.
The complaint says Griffis later contacted her and said the check had bounced.
The woman offered to pay cash if Griffis returned the original check.
Griffis allegedly told her he had torn up the check and thrown it away.
The woman later reviewed her bank account and found a $160 withdrawal.
She then viewed an image of the check through her banking application.
The complaint says the numerical amount appeared changed from $60 to $160.
The written amount also appeared altered from sixty dollars to one hundred sixty dollars.
Bank Records Reviewed
Investigators reviewed the check and later obtained a search warrant for Griffis’ bank account.
Records were received in June, according to the complaint.
Investigators said the records showed a $160 mobile deposit using the disputed check.
The deposit went into an account identified as belonging to Griffis.
The complaint says Griffis was the sole owner of that account.
Griffis denied altering the check during a phone interview with investigators.
He confirmed trying to deposit the check into his account, according to the complaint.
He also said he was the only person possessing the check before disposing of it.
Gross Misdemeanor Charge Filed
Griffis is charged under Minnesota Statute 609.631.
The law covers falsely making or altering checks and other financial instruments.
The complaint lists the charge as a gross misdemeanor.
It lists a maximum sentence of one year imprisonment, a $3,000 fine, or both.
The case was filed by summons in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District.
Information about Minnesota courts is available through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
A criminal charge is an allegation and does not establish guilt.
Griffis is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.
Copyright 2026 TRF News. All rights reserved.
