Brownsdale man gets second check forgery charge

Published 8:13 am Monday, July 23, 2018

Brendan Charles Johnson, 35

Brendan Charles Johnson, 35, of Brownsdale was charged on Friday in Mower County District Court with felony check forgery-make or alter a check.

According to the court complaint, the manager of the Greenway gas station in Brownsdale spoke to a deputy on Feb. 6 about a bad check. The manager said that an employee had cashed a check in the sum of $200 on a closed account. The check was from a Bremer Bank account belonging to a Rochester man and had been written to “Brendan Johnson.”

The manager provided the deputy with surveillance camera photographs that showed Johnson and his vehicle, the complaint said. The manager said Johnson allegedly passed a bad check on Dec. 11.

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The deputy and a detective compared the signature on the check to the signature on the driver’s license of the Rochester man who owned the account and noted they did not match, the complaint said.

The deputy met with the Greenway Regional Manager on Feb. 7 and reviewed video surveillance footage that allegedly captured Johnson from four different camera angles. It allegedly showed Johnson paying for items with the forged check and getting change back before leaving. The deputy later met with the employee, who identified Johnson from the photographs as the individual who gave him the forged check. He alleged that Johnson told him, “Here’s my check. I okayed it with your boss already.” The deputy was also given a copy of an insufficient funds check from Johnson’s bank account for $50 allegedly presented to Greenway by Johnson on Nov. 24.

On Feb. 8, the deputy spoke with a Bremer Bank loss prevention representative, who said they had not received any calls or notices reporting checks stolen from the Rochester man’s account, the complaint said. She said the account was opened in November, but closed due to overdrafts.

The complaint states the deputy called Johnson, who denied writing the $50 check on Nov. 24 at Greenway, blaming it on “Justin Demoris.” When told he was on surveillance camera, Johnson asked if he could pay the $50 to Greenway. The deputy also asked about the check Johnson allegedly cashed from the Rochester man’s account. Johnson claimed the man had paid him for some work and that he cashed it at Greenway because the bank was closed. Johnson said he had the man’s email address, but allegedly spoke it too quickly for the deputy to write it down before claiming he had an incoming call and the deputy would hear from his attorney.

On May 14, the deputy again met with the Greenway manager, who said Johnson had cashed two more forged checks, this time from another Rochester resident, the complaint said. One was presented on May 12 for $65 and the other was presented on May 13 for $120. She also provided surveillance footage that allegedly showed Johnson presenting the checks.

A review of Johnson’s criminal record shows a prior conviction for theft. He is also currently awaiting trial on a charge of felony check forgery-offer with intent to defraud after he was allegedly caught on camera cashing a fraudulent check for $985 at Bobee Jo’s and recently pleaded guilty to burglarizing Steve’s Pizza.

Johnson will appear in court again on Aug. 2.