Police Say Ames Man Writes Bad Checks to Buy a Truck, Car and Snowmobiles

An Ames man was charged with first- and second-degree theft after allegedly writing $60,000 of checks from an account that contained just $7.

Justin Darik Nelson, 34, of South Dayton Ave., allegedly used a nearly empty account at the Greater Iowa Credit Union to procure a number of items including two vehicles and snowmobiles. 

Nelson opened a new checking account at the local credit union with $5 on Dec. 17 and added $2 additional dollars but wrote two checks worth $13,540 to buy a 2007 Chevy Silverado with a snowblade from George White Chevrolet on Dec. 18, complaints said.

After the checks bounced, he eventually returned the truck to the car dealer, but kept the snowblade, complaints said.

During the course of the investigation, police discovered that Nelson had written a number of checks totaling $59,746.70 for various items, complaints said. He had also purchased two snowmobiles from Grimes and allegedly asked a roommate to cash a $1,175 check, complaints said. Police found the snow blade and snowmobiles outside the roommate's home.

A recent Craigslist post naming Nelson asked for people in the Des Moines area to be on the alert for a snowmobile trailer and more. And an article in the Ames Tribune said that Nelson had also purchased a 2009 Honda Civic EX from Quality Motors for $16,479.

Nelson has been charged with two counts of first-degree theft and one count of second-degree theft in Story County. He also faces charges in Polk County, Ames police said.

First-degree theft is a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and second-degree theft is a Class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.

Nelson was being held in the Story County Jail on a $25,000 bond.

Nelson has previously been convicted of writing bad checks, according to an article in the DysartReporter. Nelson was ordered to pay more than $8,000 in restitution for writing a number of bad checks in 2008, the article said.

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