New York man indicted after trying to buy 50,000 stamps with a fraudulent check in Geauga County

GEAUGA COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - A New York man has been indicted by a grand jury after Chardon police received a call from a post office for a suspicious man attempting to purchase 50,000 stamps last month.

According to the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office, Christopher Ellis, 24, of Newburgh, New York, was indicted for one county of attempted grand theft and two counts of forgery.

On August 19, the Chardon Police Department was called to the post office for a report of a suspicious man attempting to purchase 50,000 stamps.

The Geneva Postmaster had sent an alert about Ellis after he had successfully purchased $40,000 in stamps from three Ashtabula County post offices using fake checks.

The prosecutor’s office says following an investigation from the Chardon Police Department, a fake Ohio identification card and a fraudulent check was discovered.

The U.S. Postal Inspector’s Office assisted with the investigation.

Ellis is currently being held in the Geauga County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. in the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas.