Franklin woman facing 27 theft-related charges

From Staff Reports

A Franklin woman is facing 27 charges in connection with several fake checks allegedly written using the Trails to Ales Brewery’s bank information.

Franklin police said in a criminal complaint that eight fake checks totaling $4,137 were deposited into a bank account under McKenzie Shook’s name from March to April.

Shook, 19, an employee of Trails to Ales at the time, obtained the brewery’s bank account number and routing information from her pay stub, the complaint said.

Shook told police she was contacted through Snapchat by a woman named Alexia Quinn who asked Shook for her personal bank account information and a photo of Shook’s pay stub, the complaint said..

Shook said money was then deposited into her bank account which she then transferred to another account on an online money transfer app, police said. Police said Shook related that she remained in contact with Quinn, who would give her instructions for transferring the funds.

Shook told police she was to receive half the money, the complaint said.

Money was sent to locations in Queens and the Bronx in New York City, but police said they aren’t sure of Quinn’s actual identity.

Shook was charged with eight felony counts of forgery-unauthorized act in writing, five felony counts of access device is counterfeit, altered, incomplete, one felony count of theft by unlawful taking-movable property, one felony count of receiving stolen property, one felony count of criminal use of a communication facility, eight misdemeanor counts of theft by deception-false impression; and three misdemeanor counts of access device used to obtain or attempt to obtain property/service.

A preliminary hearing for Shook is scheduled Nov. 6 in Venango County Central Court.