Police searching for 2 men in check theft, 'washing' scheme that netted $10K

State police are looking for two men who they believe stole a check from a mailbox belonging to a Ligonier accounting firm and used it to steal about $10,000 from Latrobe Municipal Authority.

Michael G. Machay, 35, of Butler and Bryan A. McGraw, 30, of McKees Rocks are charged with numerous counts of forgery, theft, tampering with records and related offenses.

Trooper Steve Limani said the suspects used a “washing” process that erases details written into a check, then replicating a blank version of it.

“Our concern is this is part of a larger group of people that are doing this and they’re going to target places that have checks coming in and out, such as a small business, such as accounting places, things of that nature,” he said. “If you can just be cognizant of how you’re receiving and sending those types of things through the mail, I think that would go a long way in … making sure you’re not an easy target.”

Troopers were notified of the situation Dec. 30 by the municipal authority in Derry Township and were provided copies of the six forged checks. Three were made out to Machay totaling $5,432 and were cashed Dec. 22 at a trio of Commercial Bank & Trust branches in the area, according to court papers.

The other three checks, totaling $5,173, were cashed by McGraw at the same branches, police said.

Anyone with information please contact PSP KISKI 724-697-5780 pic.twitter.com/LRlpr4MLg1

— Troopers Steve Limani & Cliff Greenfield (@PSPTroopAPIO) February 11, 2022

Limani praised bank employees for getting identification information of the two suspects.

“The good thing for us is when they went to those banks, those banks were smart enough to ask for ID, so we actually have a copy of their ID as part of this investigation,” he said, adding that troopers also have surveillance footage. “We’re fortunate to be able to have that type of information.”

Troopers learned that a check from the municipal authority to Singer Accounting was missing from the Route 30 firm’s mailbox, according to court papers. Bank officials showed investigators several discrepancies between a legitimate check and the forged ones, police said.

Troopers got arrest warrants Jan. 2 for Machay and McGraw but have been unable to locate them. Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the state police Kiski Valley station at 724-697-5780.

“We’re very concerned that there’s a possibility they might be doing this other places,” Limani said.

He urged business owners or anyone putting checks into the mail to drop them off directly in a mailbox or at a post office. Anyone who would be receiving checks by mail should consider a secure way to receive them, he said.