The Selma Times-Journal

The City of Selma will recover more than $35,00 of money stolen through forged checks.

Selma police officers arrested Maneka Burns Shelton, 24, Friday afternoon and accused her of making three counterfeit checks using a city bank account.

Officers charged Shelton with theft of property first degree and theft of property second degree.

A worker in the city’s finance office told police late last week some checks routed through the city’s account looked like forgeries.

Lt. David Evans, a spokesman for the Selma Police Department, said Shelton got the city banking account’s routing and account number from a check the city wrote to her.

The city had written the check to Shelton as returned money for a bond she paid for someone after a decision by the municipal court.

Evans said evidence points to Shelton generating at least three checks on a computer, using the information on the refund check from the city.

Investigators found at least one check for $35,140, the largest amount of the three written.

This check was to start a business called Leave it to the Maids, Evans said. The business would have been a cleaning service.

Evans also said Shelton allegedly wrote a check for $3,591.51 to pay off a student loan.

“The indications are that she has a degree in computer science from UAB,” Evans said.

The other check amounted to $500 made out to an insurance agency.

Police arrested Shelton and booked her into the Dallas County Jail.

As of press time, she remains there under bond totaling $75,000.

Sheriff’s investigator Roy Freine commended Selma Police Sgt. Tory Neely and detectives Fred Walker and Jeff Hardy with the quick arrest.

Chief William T. Riley III also recognized the efforts of the officers.

“These detectives did an excellent job, not only in developing a suspect this quickly, but to also obtain a confession is just outstanding,” Riley said.

Mayor James Perkins Jr. praised all Selma employees affected by this case.

“The matter was resolved quickly and professionally. Everyone did a good job and is to be commended,” Perkins said.

Evans said the department will investigate filing federal charges against Shelton because some of the money was wired across state lines.

The city will not lose the money. It will be recovered from Shelton or by the banks using an affidavit of forgery, Evans said.