Texas man tied to multi-state fraudulent check-cashing ring gets plea deal; co-defendants wanted
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POCATELLO — A man charged in connection with a check cashing ring that allegedly saw him and three accomplices steal thousands from banks in several states has reached a plea agreement.
Quinton Jamal Hawkins, 28, is expected to plead guilty to a felony for passing a fictitious check, according to court documents. In exchange, the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office will dismiss felonies of forgery and criminal conspiracy. His three co-defendants have absconded bail.
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Hawkins, along with 25-year-old Johntay Jajuan Taylor, 30-year-old Anthony Reimer Mares and 30-year-old Kemon Rashad Witt, were arrested by Chubbuck police officers in August.
Chubbuck police received a call from a local bank after Hawkins tried to cash a fraudulent check.
When officers located the men, they were found to possess $13,844 and additional signed, fraudulent checks. Officers discovered that the men had cashed fraudulent checks in other states.
According to the plea agreement, the prosecution will concur with the sentence recommended by the pre-sentence investigation. If a rider is recommended, the prosecution will recommend an underlying sentence of no more than five years.
He is scheduled for a change of plea hearing before District Judge Javier Gabiola on Oct. 3.
Taylor, Mares and Witt, like Hawkins, were released from jail on their own recognizance with court services, meaning they were required to check in with the court regularly. They were dismissed on Aug. 16, and while Hawkins has kept in contact with the court, the other three, according to court documents, were each last in contact on Aug. 17.
Warrants were issued for the arrest of each on Sept. 9.
