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Police: Son took almost $8,000 from father’s business
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · September 25, 2014


A Tipton man turned himself in Monday after law enforcement accused him of forging checks to steal nearly $8,000 — possibly more — from his father’s automobile repair shop.
Timothy Gale Gingerich, 26, was charged with 30 different counts, including 28 for forged checks, one for identity theft and one for second-degree theft. All of the counts are Class D felonies and carry a prison term of up to 10 years each.

An indictment filed Monday states that the checks were forged over a three-and-a-half month period, from Feb. 7 through May 28.

The checks were written off a business account for Virgil’s Repair Service, 607 North Fourth Street, owned by Gingerich’s father, Virgil Gingerich.

A fundraiser was organized in early May to help raise money to help pay for Virgil Gingerich’s medical bills as he was receiving treatment for cancer. West Branch Police Chief Mike Horihan said the money raised from that benefit was deposited into Gingerich’s business account.

Horihan said he believes there were more forged checks — he suspects more than $9,000 was actually stolen — but the ones mentioned in the indictment were the ones he feels law enforcement can prove were taken illegally.

The checks were allegedly cashed at Community State Bank branches in West Branch and Tipton, Liberty Trust and Savings in Tipton, Tiger Mart in Tipton, and Tipton Hotel.

Police collected video from these locations, as well as handwriting samples and bank account information from the repair shop.

Timothy Gingerich allegedly purchased cigarettes and beer at Tiger Mart, but police do not know what he purchased with cash collected at banks. Horihan said law enforcement was unable to recover any of the money, but believes that if they can get a conviction, a judge would likely order restitution.

Iowa State Patrol investigators are still working on the handwriting analysis, Horihan said. While he believes he has enough evidence to convict, the handwriting results should provide “another nail in the coffin,” he said.

The investigation started in June and Timothy Gingerich was aware that police were investigating him. Horihan said he considered Timothy Gingerich a flight risk, but “I knew where he was hanging out.”

Horihan said he contacted Timothy Gingerich last week, giving him the option of turning himself in. Gingerich did so at 7 a.m. Monday, turning himself in to deputies at the Cedar County Sheriff’s Department.