The Luverne Police Department is urging local businesses to use caution when accepting checks from their patrons.

Christopher Clark, 37, of Luverne was arrested and charged with six counts of fraud on Aug. 13 after using stolen checks to purchase goods at Food Depot and Horn’s Store in Luverne. He was charged with three counts of fraud at each store.

Citizen’s Bank contacted the LPD prior to Clark’s arrest following a complaint from one of its customers after $8,000 in checks were return in which the account holder didn’t write.

&uot;During our investigation we found out that the subject that did get these checks from this person was writing them to two different businesses here in town,&uot; LPD Police Chief Bob Davis explained.

Following Clark’s arrest, which was made while he was shoplifting at Food Depot, he was transported to the Crenshaw County Jail where he still awaits bond.

&uot;There will be subsequent charges to follow involving the same businesses and the same charge,&uot; Davis said. &uot;We’re looking at possibly 30 counts. We know we can account for 30 of the checks, but that’s still under investigation to determine how many checks were written. There may be some outside the county as well.&uot;

Three Food Depot representatives positively identified Clark as the subject who wrote the forged checks.

&uot;A photo lineup was later shown in which witnesses positively identified our suspect,&uot; Davis said.

Davis is encouraging others that may have been a victim of fraud to contact the LPD at 335-3335

&uot;What we’re hoping for is if there are other victims out there as a result of him, they need to notify the city if it happened in the Luverne or they need to notify the county if it happened in the county,&uot; Davis said.

Davis said his department did a fine job of getting Clark of the streets.

&uot;He was writing heavy checks,&uot; Davis said. &uot;There weren’t any small ones.&uot;