A woman arrested after a traffic stop in Rensselaer County allegedly was one of at least three individuals involved in a fraudulent check-cashing operation in Saugerties, Kingston and the town of Ulster, police said Monday.
Jessica E. Bessette, 24, of 3775 6th Ave., Troy, was pulled over by village of Nassau police on Sunday and charged with possession of a forged instrument, a felony, Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra said in a press release.
Nassau police detained Bessette on a warrant from Saugerties in connection with an Oct. 16 incident at the Mobil Mart at 333 state Route 212 during which she allegedly cashed a fraudulent check, Sinagra said.
Bessette also had outstanding warrants from the town of Ulster for felony possession of a forged instrument and the city of Kingston for felony possession of a forged instrument and misdemeanor petit larceny, the police agencies in those communities confirmed Monday.
Bessette’s arrest appears related to the Dec. 5, 2014, arrests of Andrea D. Stevens, 25, of Albany, and Margaret S. Wiegand, 31, of Troy, who were charged with felony possession of a forged instrument and misdemeanor petit larceny. Those arrests followed reports of attempts in November 2014 to cash fraudulent payroll checks at various businesses, police said at the time, adding that additional arrests were pending.
An investigation in December found Stevens and Wiegand traveled to Kingston for the sole purpose of cashing fraudulent payroll checks, police said at the time.
“It is safe to say that this was a group of people acting in concert. The investigation is continuing, and more arrests are pending,” town of Ulster Police Chief Anthony Cruise said Monday.
Bessette was arraigned in Saugerties Town Court and sent to the Ulster County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail.
After their December arrests, Stevens and Wiegand were released with tickets to appear in Ulster Town Court.
