BUCKHANNON – A Harrison County man was arrested earlier this week for allegedly taking a check from a mailbox and using it to pay on an account at Ace Hardware in Buckhannon.

Joshua Swiger, 29, of Bridgeport, was arrested Monday, Sept. 28 for forgery of a check and uttering of a forged check, both felonies.

According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by investigating officer Cpl. Theron Caynor with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, on Sept. 8, 2020 Swiger allegedly entered Ace Hardware at 116 Skyline Drive in Buckhannon.

While inside, Swiger allegedly used a check belonging to Richard Sandy. The complaint states that Sandy had previously written the check to his doctor and placed it in his mailbox outside his residence in Bridgeport. However, the file says Swiger allegedly altered the original check and rewrote it for $533.14 and passed it at Ace Hardware.

According to the file, law enforcement viewed security footage in which Swiger allegedly passed the check and put the purchases toward his Acenet rewards account in his name. A photograph from the security video was sent to White Hall Chief of Police, who, according to Caynor’s complaint, “had previous dealings with Swiger” and was reportedly able to identify Swiger as the person in the video.

Bail was set at $4,000.

The potential penalty for a conviction of forgery of a check or uttering of a forged check is confinement in prison for one to 10 years or regional jail for imprisonment for one year and a fine of up to $500.