Becker County, Minnesota (trfnews.i234.me) – Anthony Lee Stands of Audubon is facing a felony check forgery charge after allegedly creating and using over $5,600 in forged checks from a woman’s Wells Fargo account—without her permission.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Becker County District Court, the investigation began on November 22, 2024, when a female victim reported to Detroit Lakes Police that multiple checks had been issued from her account, even though she never uses checks.
The checks—five in total—included one to the Detroit Lakes Community Center, which raised suspicion. The victim explained that Stands had recently stayed with her and had mentioned wanting to repay her by purchasing a community center membership.
Investigators were able to match the handwriting on the checks to Stands, who was already known to law enforcement for prior check fraud cases. Surveillance footage from the community center confirmed that Stands used one of the forged checks to make a purchase.
In total, the forged checks amounted to $5,618 and were written between November 6 and November 18, 2024. The address on the checks matched Stands’ registered sex offender address in Pelican Rapids.
Despite efforts, authorities have been unable to contact Stands.
He now faces:
-
Count I: Felony Check Forgery – Make or Alter a Check Over $2,500
-
Maximum Penalty: 10 years in prison, $20,000 fine, or both
-
A summons has been issued for Stands to appear in court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.