Law and Order Lake County
May 24, 2012 4:58PM
Updated: July 3, 2012 9:45AM
HOBART
Charges filed in
alleged check fraud
A Sauk Village, Ill., man has been charged with four felonies after a First Midwest bank teller became suspicious when he presented a check from Illinois to cash at WiseWay here.
Peter F. Dobrzeniecki, 24, is charged with fraud on a financial institution, attempted fraud, forgery and attempted forgery.
Court records state he presented a check for $1,600 from Carey’s Car and Credit issued by First Midwest. The teller called police. Dobrzeniecki said he was a “repo man” and he was cashing his paycheck. Police arrested him on a warrant.
Investigators learned the suspect had cashed a similar check at another First Midwest branch in Merrillville, the probable cause affidavit states.
Police catch alleged burglar inside house
A Brook couple were arrested earlier this week after an alert neighbor tipped police to a burglary at a house near Old Ridge Road and Beverly Boulevard.
Jacob Herron, 24, was found hiding in the house under a bed. When police found him there, he said, “Someone told me there was jewelry inside here and I am hard up for money,” the probable cause affidavit states.
Police discovered his girlfriend was waiting for him at the nearby Family Express.
Kelly Tebo, 27, was charged with assisting a criminal after Detective Nicholas Wardrip learned she called Herron to warn him that police were in the area.
Lake County Courts
Burglary accomplice gets 12-year sentence
Lake Superior Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr. sentenced a Chicago man to 12 years in prison for acting as an accomplice in four Hammond burglaries.
Marcus Anthony Lee, 21, admitted his role with a co-defendant in five burglaries — Aug. 17 in the 400 block of Roosevelt Court, Sept. 8 in the 400 block of Michigan Street, Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 in the 400 block of Logan Drive and July 28 in the 400 block of Logan Drive. Televisions, game systems and other items were taken in three of the break-ins.
Lee had faced from six to 20 years in each of the cases.
Prosecutors want man’s bond revoked
Prosecutors are asking Lake Superior Court Judge Diane Ross Boswell to revoke the bond for a Crown Point man charged with causing death while operating while intoxicated after he was charged last week with possession of a controlled substance.
Boswell scheduled a June 14 hearing for the request in the case of Nicholas Stockman, who faces from two to eight years on the most serious charges filed in the death of 19-year-old Desmond Ramos.
Ramos was thrown from Stockman’s car, which crashed July 25, 2011, on Interstate 65 north of U.S. 30 in Merrillville. Authorities allege Stockman was traveling between 91 to 99 mph at the time of the crash. His blood alcohol level was .17 percent, and he tested positive for marijuana, the probable cause affidavit states.
Ramos died of extensive traumatic head and abdominal injuries due to blunt force trauma.
Stockman, 21, of the 10400 block of Doe Path Lane, is free on $5,000 cash bond.
Stockman told police he, Ramos and another man were drinking rum at Wells Street Beach before the crash occurred.
Stockman was charged May 18 with possession of a controlled substance, conversion and public intoxication after Crown Point police investigating a theft from a car found Stockman “stumbling in the roadway” at Lexington and Iroquois with a stolen GPS device in his pocket. Stockman had two different prescription medications for ADD in his possession.
Stockman has pleaded not guilty.
