Formerly missing Cullman man now facing identity theft, forgery charges

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Charles Steven Smith, Jr. (Cullman County Sheriff’s Office)

CULLMAN, Ala. – Charles Steven Smith, Jr., who was the subject of a missing person case in April and May of this year (www.cullmantribune.com/2019/05/16/missing-cullman-man-found-alive-in-texas-circumstances-unclear/), on Aug. 30 was arrested by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) for second-degree forgery and identity theft, both Class C felonies which carry sentences of up to 10 years.

Smith allegedly acquired an Alabama driver’s license under the name Joseph George Hoenig on April 17, two days before he left Cullman, supposedly headed to Biloxi, Mississippi April 19. Somewhere in Mississippi on the night of April 19, he disappeared, and his truck was found near New Orleans April 22. On May 16, Smith was located in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Authorities submitted a bail request, stating that Smith was a “flight risk due to a history of leaving the state for suspicious reasons.” The suspect was assigned a $20,000 unsecured bond, meaning that he was not required to put up any money, and was released.

Smith has a hearing in Cullman County District Court Oct. 8.

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W.C. Mann

craig@cullmantribune.com