Frazee Woman Charged In Forged Check Case
Frazee (trfnews.i234.me) — Carol Ann Mitchell, 54, of Frazee, is charged in Becker County with felony check forgery.
The charge says she offered or possessed forged checks with the intent to defraud. Court records list the case as 03-CR-26-878 in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District.
Two Checks Allegedly Deposited
According to the complaint, the case involves two insurance checks issued to a deceased woman. Both checks were later deposited into Mitchell’s bank account, prosecutors allege.
One check was for $500, and the other was for $1,482.89. The total alleged amount was $1,982.89.
Investigators were alerted on July 16, 2025, after two checks were reported as forged. The complaint says the checks were payable to a woman who had died months earlier.
The woman’s signature appeared on the back of both checks. Officials said the signatures did not match records from Minnesota motor vehicle files.
Each check also included “pay to the order of Carol Mitchell,” court documents allege.
Bank Video And Records Reviewed
Investigators later obtained bank records, copies of the checks, and drive-through surveillance video. The complaint says video from April 25, 2025, showed a vehicle registered to Mitchell.
The vehicle went through the drive-through at the United Community Bank branch in Frazee. A woman appearing to be Mitchell was seen writing on what appeared to be a check.
Bank records showed a $500 check was deposited into Mitchell’s account that same day.
Investigators also found a $1,482.89 check deposit dated January 21, 2025. That check also appeared to carry the deceased woman’s signature, the complaint states.
The complaint says the two signatures were not consistent with each other.
Mitchell Denies Signing Victim’s Name
In a phone interview, Mitchell said the checks came from an insurance company. She said they followed an accident involving a vehicle she had been driving.
Mitchell said the checks were mailed to the deceased woman’s home. She told investigators she went there to pick them up.
Mitchell admitted she knew the woman had died months earlier, according to the complaint. She also admitted signing her own name below the woman’s name.
However, Mitchell denied signing the deceased woman’s name on the checks.
Under Minnesota Statute 609.631, offering a forged check can be charged as check forgery. Mitchell faces a felony count involving an alleged amount above $250 and below $2,500.
The listed maximum penalty is five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both.
A charge is only an accusation. Mitchell is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Online case information may be searched through the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
