Man Indicted on 25 Forgery Counts, Identity Theft Involving Hazelwood ATM

A University City man in in a flood of trouble and was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday on 25 counts of forgery, four counts of identity theft and three counts of stealing.

said in a report that Ernest D. Bams, of the 7000 block of Melrose Avenue in University City, acquired other people’s identitification, passwords and checks at the person’s bank and then withdrawing money.

He then made withdrawals at 15 bank and ATM locations throughout the St. Louis County area, including Creve Coeur, Shrewsbury, Oakville, Crestwood, and unincorporated North County, according to the report.

The thefts occurred over a nine-week period from June 7 through Aug. 12, 2011.