Man arraigned on forgery charges uses bogus check for bond

One of two Chicago men accused of trying to buy close to $400,000 worth of cars with bogus checks may have dug the hole he is in a little deeper.

During his arraignment on forgery charges Thursday, it was revealed that Torrez Moore, 49, apparently sent a similar check to Circuit Clerk Sally Cofelt's office in an attempt to post his bond. The check was made out for the full $250,000 bond set in his case instead of the 10 percent of that amount people normally have to post.

Moore and David Farr, 39, are accused of trying to buy five vehicles from Volo Classic Cars with $389,792 worth of money orders drawn on what the men called their U.S. Treasury Trust Fund accounts.

Assistant State's Attorney Bolling Haxall said the men told the police who arrested them June 12 that the accounts are established for every U.S. citizen when they are born.

The government secures the accounts with gold in a dollar amount equal to the citizen's Social Security account number, Haxall said the men claimed.

The cars included a 1969 Corvette, Chevrolet Chevelles built in 1965 and 1967, a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner and a 1963 Oldsmobile Delta 88.

The check sent to Cofelt's office is similar to the ones passed at the auto dealership, Haxall said, and is among the reasons that the clerk's office does not accept checks.

Moore told Associate Judge Theodore Potkonjak that he did not recognize the authority of the court to hold him on the charges and that he wanted them dismissed.

Potkonjak declined to do so and, over Moore's objection, appointed the county's public defender's office to represent him as he did last week for Farr.

Moore also told Haxall he wanted the check that he sent to the clerk's office back, but Haxall responded that the check could be the basis of additional charges against Moore.

"This document purports to be a draw on the United State's Treasury," Haxall said. "I intend to send it to the treasury department and see what they want to do about it."

Farr pleaded not guilty to forgery and attempted theft charges last week, and Moore's attorney entered similar pleas for him on Thursday.

Moore is scheduled to appear in court again July 23 and Farr is due back on Aug. 4.

Both men face up to seven years in prison if convicted.