Jeffrey Valentine
COVINGTON—A St. Tammany Parish jury convicted Jeffrey Valentine, 52, of New Orleans, Tuesday (Jan. 12) of bank fraud for trying to cash a fraudulent check for $1,982.10 at a Mandeville bank in June 2014. Valentine, who has at least two prior convictions, faces five to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced by District Judge William Burris on March 24.
A jury deliberated about 1½ hours before finding Valentine guilty of trying to cash a check bearing his name from the account of a Covington business about 11 a.m. on June 25, 2014, at American Bank & Trust. An astute bank teller noticed something suspicious about the payer’s signature and alerted the bank manager, who photocopied a valid Louisiana ID card that had been presented by Valentine. The manager then contacted the business, whose office manager said that the business had not issued the check.
The bank manager called the Mandeville Police Department, but Valentine fled before officers arrived. A warrant was issued, and Valentine was arrested Feb. 10, 2015.
Assistant District Attorney William Macke prosecuted the case; he was assisted by Assistant District Attorney Blake Peters.