Call from concerned citizen results in discovery of significant forgery operation; 4 arrests made

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CULLMAN –  Cullman City Police officers on Monday arrested four people and shut down a significant forgery operation as a result of received a call from a concerned citizen.

The caller reported suspicious males in a gold Jeep Liberty in the back parking lot of the Days Inn motel.  Officers Intae Suh and Philip Botelho responded, and located the vehicle, which was occupied by a white male.

After a brief interview with the subject, officers determined illegal drug activity was likely involved in one of the motel rooms.  Officers made contact with the three male occupants, identified as Brandon Christopher Laney, 21, of Cullman; Alexander Douglas Quick, 22, of Cullman; and Cody Dwayne Strickland, 25, of Tennessee in the room and subsequently established probable cause to obtain a search warrant for the room. Officers discovered Strickland and Quick were both on probation and their probation officers were notified. 

During the course of the search, a female was found hiding under the bed. After providing false information to officers on her identity, she was identified as Summer Jacobs, 41, of Morgan County.

Forgery equipment was found in the room being used to produce counterfeit payroll checks.  Officers also recovered approximately 2.5 grams of methamphetamine, over 80 hypodermic syringes, multiple forged checks, credit card information, forgery equipment and a stolen vehicle.

All four subjects in the room were arrested.

Jacobs is charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, obstructing justice using a false identity, two counts of third-degree forgery, two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, identity theft, criminal possession of a forgery device and second-degree promoting prison contraband.

Laney is charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. He has been released on bond.

Quick is charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

Strickland is charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

Officers involved in the arrests included Suh, Botelho, Chris Steele and Adam Walker, along with investigators Adam Clark, Chris Thomason and Justin Craft.

“The Cullman Police Department would like to thank the Alabama State Probation Office and Cullman County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this arrest,” said Capt. Becky Boyd. “We would also like to thank the citizen who called in the original complaint. As a result of that citizen’s proactive action, a significant forgery operation was shut down.”

The CPD asks anyone with information on possible criminal activity to contact them at 256-734-1434.