An Osceola man’s been arrested in Mahaska County, charged with writing bad checks at auctions throughout Southwest Iowa. James Wade Gall is charged with first-degree theft and forgery. Earlier in the month, the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office contacted several auction companies and informed them that a man was using stolen checks to pay for items at sales. On Saturday, a Mahaska County auction company called the sheriff’s office to report that the man had registered at their sale using the name passed along by the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office. Two plain clothes Mahaska County Deputies arrived at the sale and waited for the man to buy an item. Sure enough, he attempted to purchase an eleven-thousand 300-dollar corn head for a combine, allegedly using a stolen check. The arrest cleared similar cases in Appanoose, Wapello and Clark Counties, as well as in New London. Gall faces additional charges in those areas. He was held overnight in the Mahaska County jail and released on his own recognizance on Sunday.