LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) arrested two people in connection to forged checks being used in Lee County banks.
Eric Speed is charged with several counts of forgery and counterfeiting.
Aariel Battles is charged with passing a forged bank note and grand larceny of more than $100,000.
LCSO was tipped to the fraud by the Suncoast Bank Credit Union.
According to the report, the credit union investigated and discovered one of their bank tellers, Aariel Battles made several questionable transactions.
Investigators say a total of 19 checks were cashed between October 2022 and December 2022 totaling just over $170,000.
Battles is no longer an employee with Suncoast Bank Credit Union.
Deputies spoke to her, and she told them she was approached by Eric Speed to assist him.
Investigators began looking into Speed and they found a check with one of the businesses whose accounts were being used on the checks.
Speed is being held without bond on a probation violation.
Battles posted bond.
