Joseph Daniel Zarate, 28, of Escanba was sentenced to 9 months in the Delta County Jail and 18 months probation.
Zarate entered a guilty plea to 3 counts of Uttering & Publishing (punishable by up to 14 years), 3 counts of Forgery (punishable by up to 14 years), and 3 counts of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime (punishable by up to 10 years). In a second case, Zarate entered a plea to 1 count of Uttering & Publishing, 1 count of Forgery, and 1 count of Using a Computer Commit a Crime.
On 11/15/19 Officers with Escanaba Department of Public Safety received a a complaint regarding check forgery. The victim reported that she had bought a clarinet from an individual named Pablo Montana, later identified as Zarate, off the internet. The victim paid $100 by check for the clarinet. She was later contacted by Zarate, who claimed that the check had bounced.
Zarate was given $100 and returned the check. She later checked her bank account and noticed that the check had been cashed for $200. Investigation into the check determined that the check had been modified and Zarate had used the mobile banking app to transfer the funds to his own accounts. Banking records also revealed that Zarate had attempted to cash the check multiple times, and modified the check in several different ways.
Further investigation into this matter revealed that the defendant attempted fraudulent mobile deposits for his altered pay stubs, as well as refund check.
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