A two-month investigation by the Benton County Sheriff’s Department and Vinton police has led to the arrest of five eastern Iowans in an elaborate check forgery scheme. Police arrested 32-year-old Mark Sigmund of Cedar Rapids, 26-year-old Rebecca Johnson of Dubque, 22-year-old Rachael Cooper of Cedar Rapids, 27-year-old Edward Dix and 32-year-old Jean Cooper both of Dubuque. The investigation began in August after workers at a conveinence store alerted Vinton police of some suspect checks passed in Vinton and Urbana. some 15 checks worth over 65-hundred dollars were passed. Police believe the routing numbers and other information on the checks were taken in a business burglary in New Vienna. They then bought check paper from an office supply store in Dubuque and printed checks on a computer using business names from Cedar Rapids and Marion. The checks ranging from 200 to 600 dollars, were passed at businesses in Vinton, Urbana, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque and Marshalltown. The five are charged with multiple counts of forgery and theft and more arrests are expected.
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