TAFT — A 28-year-old man was arrested earlier this week after buying car with a forged money order.
Kenneth Dodds of Taft was booked into the Kern County Jail for vehicle theft and for four counts of forgery.
According to Public Information Officer Ray Pruitt of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the chain events that led to Dodds arrest began on July 6, when deputies were called out to investigate the use of forged money orders to purchase an automobile in the 300-block of Lierly Avenue in the south Taft area.
“Deputies discovered a buyer approached the owner of the car and agreed to purchase the vehicle for $2,000,” Pruitt said. “A short time later the buyer returned with four money orders.”
The owner of the vehicle delivered the car to Dodd’s residence in the Taft Heights area afterward, but when he tried to cash the money orders a short time later; he was told that they were fraudulent.
The seller then made contact with the buyer via telephone and advised him that the money orders were fraudulent, and demanded that he return the vehicle.
“The suspect refused, hung up on the victim, and would not respond to further attempts made by the seller to resolve the issue,” Pruitt said. .
On July 7, deputies located the vehicle that was sold, parked in an alley near the 200-block of “B” Street in Taft Heights.
Deputies then found Dodds at his residence and arrested him without incident.
Deputies were able to return the vehicle to the victim.
