Man is Charged with Forging a $1.8 Million Check
Waco, Tx ( FOX 44 ) – A Waco man is arrested in Houston after being accused of sending a fraudulent business check.
The investigation began in April, when Michael Lawrence Warren, acting as a trustee of the SOVO trust foundation, allegedly sent a fraudulent business check along with a real estate contract and memorandum to a local bank in an attempt to purchase a foreclosed property in Crawford, Texas.
The check prompted the local bank to notify Mclennan county sheriff`s office, sparking a formal investigation. Investigators said that warren had mailed the forged check with the intent to defraud the bank.
Through coordinated efforts with the U.S. Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, Texas authorities traced Warren to Houston, where he was found living under multiple aliases.
On October 30, 2024, members of the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Violent Offenders and Fugitive Task Force arrested Warren at a hotel in southwest Houston. Upon his arrest, Warren was found in possession of several identification cards and multiple financial accounts under different names.
A search warrant led to the discovery of additional evidence, prompting additional federal charges against Warren. Warren is currently in custody at the McLennan County Jail, facing charges of first-degree felony forgery with an amount exceeding $300,000, as well as outstanding warrants for violations in several states. Federal authorities are investigating further criminal activity related to the items recovered during the search.
