Two Men Arrested On Suspicion of Trying to Cash Phony $46,000 Income Tax Check

Two men who allegedly tried to cash a phony income tax check for $46,000 were arrested at a South San Francisco bank on Monday, police said.

Lamar Austin, 32, of Oakland, and Jessie Muniz, 40, of Daly City, are suspected of concocting a sophisticated scheme to defraud the government of several thousand dollars, according to the South San Francisco Police Department.

Police arrested Austin and Muniz at a Chase bank at 101 McLellan Drive at about 10 a.m., when they allegedly attempted to cash a fraudulent $46,000 Federal Income Tax check, police said.

A subsequent investigation revealed that the two men had allegedly forged multiple documents, including a false tax return and a California driver's license in another person's name, police said.

Both suspects were arrested and booked into San Mateo county jail for multiple felonies, including identity theft, fraud, burglary, forgery and conspiracy, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

Bail for both men was set at $100,000.

A third suspect, an adult woman, was being sought by detectives, police said.

Austin posted bail and is scheduled to appear in court to enter a plea on June 12, Wagstaffe said.

Muniz remained in custody as of this afternoon and was scheduled to enter a plea in San Mateo County Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon.

-Bay City News