Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Oltha Lee Wallace, Jr., 38, was arrested yesterday and charged with forging a check and contributing to the delinquency of a minor after allegedly asking a 17-year-old to cash a check he had forged from a stolen checkbook.

According to a sworn complaint filed by a Gainesville Police Department Officer, the victim received a call from Florida Credit Union on February 29 about someone trying to cash a check from the victim’s account. The victim reportedly realized that someone had broken into his auto repair shop and had stolen his personal checkbook.

Video from the credit union reportedly shows Wallace and the 17-year-old boy trying to cash the check. Wallace allegedly filled out the stolen check and coached the boy on how to cash it; he reportedly told the boy he couldn’t cash it because he didn’t have his ID with him and lied to the boy about where the check came from. The boy reportedly did not know the check was fraudulent and believed he was just helping Wallace because he didn’t have his ID.

Judge William Davis signed a warrant for Wallace’s arrest on April 16, setting bail at $25,000, and Wallace was arrested yesterday.

Wallace has two felony convictions (none violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (none violent) He has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2014. Judge Luis Bustamante set bail at $25,000, the amount set in the warrant.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.