Photo: KENA BETANCUR / AFP / Getty Images
Photo: Rukyia Dean
In a news release, investigators say on March 30th, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a parent of a vulnerable minor with a known cognitive disability.
The vulnerable minor was recently cited for misdemeanor forgery by Omaha Police for allegedly attempting to cash a bad check.
Upon further conversation with the minor, the parent was able to establish the minor was recruited by friends at school to cash the forged check.
Further investigation by the Sheriff's Criminal Investigations Division determined the vulnerable minor was recruited to cash the forged check for the biological daughter of Rukyia T. Dean.
The Sheriff's Office says the vulnerable minor met with Dean, Dean’s daughter, and others, at a local bank where the minor was given a check for $1,000 and directed to cash it.
DCSO says Dean oversaw the entire process and provided instructions for how to cash the check.
The vulnerable minor was told that for cashing the check she could keep $500.
After cashing the check, the minor returned to Dean’s vehicle and gave the occupants $500 cash.
The vulnerable minor was then directed to transfer $250 electronically to another individual.
Within hours, the vulnerable minor was contacted and asked to cash another check. This second check was written from the same account and made out for $950.
The bank refused to cash the second check due to the issuing bank suspending the account for suspected fraud. The bank then called 911, which resulted in the vulnerable minor being cited for forgery and Dean leaving the bank parking lot.
Last Friday, Deputies swore out a warrant for the arrest of 50-year-old Rukyia Dean on one count of 2nd Degree Forgery, $1,500-$4,999, a class IV felony.
Dean was taken into custody earlier this week and is currently awaiting sentencing following a plea of no contest last December to one charge of Conspiracy to Commit a Class 2A Felony.
As part of her plea bargain, one count of 2nd Degree Forgery, $5,000+, a class 2A felony, was dropped. In that case, also investigated by DCSO, Dean had a nearly identical pattern where she was recruiting vulnerable individuals to cash forged checks.
(Picture from Getty Images and Douglas County Sheriff)