Bemidji: Staples Faces Felony $760 Check Forgery

BEMIDJI, Minn. (trfnews.i234.me) — Racheal Lynn Staples faces a felony check-forgery charge in Beltrami County.

Staples, 42, is charged in District Court file 04-CR-26-1840.

The case was filed by summons.

Prosecutors allege a forged $760 check was deposited at a Bemidji ATM.

Account Holder Reports Missing Money

The complaint says an account holder contacted law enforcement on June 30, 2026.

He reported receiving notice that his bank account had been overdrawn.

A $760 check had been taken from the account, according to prosecutors.

The check was made payable to Racheal Lynn Staples.

It was dated April 28, 2026.

The account holder told investigators that the signature was not his.

The complaint says the signature on the check did not match his actual signature.

Investigators later obtained records from the bank where the check was deposited.

The records showed Staples opened an account at the Bemidji branch in January 2026.

Prosecutors say the disputed check was deposited through an ATM on April 30.

The ATM was located at 802 Paul Bunyan Drive in Bemidji.

The transaction involved the same $760 check reported by the account holder.

Racheal Lynn Staples | Booking photo

Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage from the ATM.

The complaint says the video showed a person wearing a hood, mask, and sunglasses.

Prosecutors say the person resembled the identification photo associated with Staples’ bank account.

The complaint does not state that facial identification was independently confirmed.

No police officer names are included in this report.

Staples is charged under Minnesota Statute 609.631, subdivision 3.

That section covers offering a forged check with intent to defraud.

It also covers possessing a forged check with intent to offer it.

The complaint alleges the check had a face value of $760.

Minnesota law sets penalties based partly on the check’s value.

A forged check above $250 and not more than $2,500 can carry up to five years.

A fine of up to $10,000 may also apply.

Those are maximum penalties and do not represent a sentence against Staples.

The complaint was filed as a summons case rather than an order of detention.

The filing does not establish that Staples committed the alleged offense.

The state must prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

Staples is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty.

Public case information is available through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.

Readers can also review the law through the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.