WSU Bookie worker charged with writing bad checks

PULLMAN – A former employee of the Bookie at WSU is facing felony charges for allegedly writing bad checks to the business.

According to certificate of probable cause, on March 20 an employee of Bookie, Leslie Martin, reported a theft, alleging a former employee had written numerous bad checks to the Bookie. Martin told WSU Police Officer Brett Boyd that Melissa Abrams, 20, had written 19 checks between May 2019 and Jan. 2020 for merchandise at the Bookie and each check had bounced due to insufficient funds.

When the issue was discovered, nine checks were still outstanding for a total of $5,684.13. Check amounts ranged from $211.57 to $1,238.91, according to the probable cause filing.

The police report stated Martin told Officer Boyd the problem was discovered by another employee who had seen the unpaid check report and noticed Abrams’ name on the list multiple times. Abrams was the general merchandising manager at the time and the primary person to see that list. Receipts showed Abrams purchased at least one Visa gift card with each transaction.

According to the police report, Abrams was interviewed by the business's loss prevention department and the statement from that interview was given to Officer Boyd. In the statement, Abrams admitted to having multiple unpaid checks and had been in a bad place personally and emotionally. After the interview, Abrams was fired.

According to the police report, Abram wrote at least two bad checks to the Bookie every month from May 2019 to Dec. 2019 except for June.

Abrams was interviewed twice by Officer Boyd at the WSU Police Department. According to the police report, Abrams admitted she knew some of the checks were bad, but not all, and that she wanted to repay the amount due.

Abrams is being charged with two counts of unlawful issuance of checks or drafts, a Class C felony, for two of the checks which were each over $750. She has been summoned to a first appearance on June 26.