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September 28, 2012

Man arraigned on 43 counts of passing bogus traveler's checks in Enid

By Cass Rains Enid News and Eagle

ENID —



James David Zahorsky Sr. faces up to seven years imprisonment on each count,

for a possible total of 301 years in prison.



According to an affidavit filed in the case, on Sept. 7 a man went to

Midwest Music, 2013 W. Garriott, and told associates he wanted to purchase

guitars, amps and other items to give to family members. The man, who gave

the name Gary Logsdon, said he was going to die within the next few months

and wanted to leave family members with something to remember him.



The man gave associates American Express traveler’s checks in the amount of

$23,500 for the equipment he wanted to purchase, according to the affidavit.

He then gave associates a further $14,500 in the checks and said he wanted

to purchase musical equipment for a child who could not afford it.



A store official told police he was not at the store at the time the

purchases were made, and the checks had not been properly signed when the

purchase was made. The store official called a number the man had left and

found it had been disconnected. The store official said he called American

Express and after speaking with them, was advised the checks passed at the

store were counterfeit, according to the affidavit.



The equipment purchased from the store was delivered to 753 N. Davis. On

Sept. 21, police went to the address and learned Zahorsky lived there and

found him walking in the 1100 block of East Walnut.



Zahorsky was placed under arrest on unrelated warrants.



Police interviewed him about the items purchased from Midwest Music.



Zahorsky said he purchased the items from the store with traveler’s checks

and had several other traveler checks in his pocket at the time, according

to the affidavit. Police checked his wallet and found several of the checks.



Zahorsky said all of the music equipment was in the basement at 753 N.

Davis, which is owned by his son. Detectives asked Zahorsky if he also made

purchases with the checks at RCS Hobbies, and Zahorsky said he did,

according to the affidavit.



Zahorsky told police he had signed up to be a secret shopper over the

Internet and he was sent traveler’s checks, according to the affidavit. He

said he was supposed to cash the checks, send them off and he would receive

the money for what he had done. He said he got the checks and decided to

keep them and spend the money on himself, according to the affidavit.



Zahorsky denied printing the checks and showed police several FedEx

envelopes sent to the residence with the checks.



Detective Shawn Ramsey asked Zahorsky why someone would send him so much

money in traveler’s checks and Zahorsky said he did not know why. Zahorsky

had written $727,500 on one of the envelopes and told police that was the

amount that had been sent to him, according to the affidavit.



Zahorsky said he spent about $37,000 worth of the checks before he got

scared and threw the rest away, according to the affidavit. When police

asked if they could search the trash, Zahorsky said it had been picked up

the week before.



Zahorsky got off his bed and told police to check under the bed because “he

was going to get caught so he should tell the truth,” according to the

affidavit. Under the mattress was a bank bag containing $700,000 of

traveler’s checks. Zahorsky had $9,000 worth of checks in his wallet.



Zahorsky is being held in lieu of $75,000 bond and was ordered to return to

court Oct. 22 for a bond appearance.

 

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