MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — The McLennan County Sheriff's Office announced that a man was arrested after forging a fake check for $1.8 million to the sheriff's office earlier this year.
Sheriff Parnell McNamara said Michael Lawrence Warren was arrested in Houston October 30 as part of a multi-state fugitive investigation that began in April.
McNamara said Warren was acting as a trustee of The SoVo Trust Foundation and allegedly sent a fraudulent business check along with a real estate contract and memorandum to a local bank. He was attempting to buy a foreclosed property in Crawford.
In a press release, the sheriff's office said investigators confirmed that Warren had mailed the forged check with the intent to defraud the bank.
During the investigation, Warren was also found to be wanted for a series of serious offenses, including parole violations, probation violations, and sex offender registration failures in multiple states, including Maryland, Colorado, Georgia, and Texas. Warren was flagged as a violent offender, known to have a history of drug abuse and violent tendencies.
Texas authorities traced Warren to Houston using multiple aliases. McNamara said Warren was found at a hotel possessing several identification cards and multiple financial accounts under different names.
A search warrant at the hotel room led to the discovery of additional evidence, prompting additional federal charges against Warren.
Warren is currently in custody at the McLennan County Jail, facing charges of forgery, first-degree felony, with an amount exceeding $300,000, as well as outstanding warrants for violations in several states.
Federal authorities are investigating further criminal activity related to the items recovered during the search.
