On May 7, 2025, officers spoke to TZ at 243 1st Avenue SE, New Brighton, Ramsey County who said someone had entered his unlocked vehicle parked at that location and stolen two business checkbooks approximately four days earlier. TZ contacted Wells Fargo and reported the theft. TZ discovered an unauthorized check in the amount of $3700 had cleared his business account. The check had been made out to Tha Htoo and remotely deposited into an account. TZ again contacted Wells Fargo who discovered that they had frozen the wrong account allowing this fraudulent check to be cashed.
Officers noted that there were several other reports of items stolen from motor vehicles around 243 1st Avenue SE on May 1, 2025. Further investigation showed that check 3681 drawn on the US Bank account of Zups Construction LLC payable to Tha Htoo in the amount of $972 had been remotely deposited into a Wells Fargo bank account for Tha Htoo on May 2, 2025. The memo line on the check indicated the check was for “Temp.” Further investigation showed that check 1066 drawn on the Blue Vine, Inc. Account for Minesota Remodeling Company payable to Tha Htoo in the amount of $3700 had been remotely deposited into a Wells Fargo bank account for Tha Htoo on May 5, 2025. The memo line on the check indicated the check was for “Cleaning.” Further investigation showed that check 3678 drawn on the US Bank account of Zups Construction LLC payable to Ku Paw in the amount of $979 had been remotely deposited into a Wells Fargo bank account for Ku Paw on May 5, 2025. The memo line on the check indicated the check was for “Floor cleaning.” New Brighton investigators later learned that TZ’s stolen Minnesota Remodeling checkbook and a check for Zups Construction were recovered in a search warrant executed by St. Paul police officers on a Honda Civic belonging to Tha Htoo.
A carbon copy of a check payable to Tha Htoo was found in the Minnesota Remodeling checkbook. A carbon copy of a check payable to Tha Htoo in the amount of $3700 from the Zups Construction account was located in the stolen checkbook. Further investigation showed that EKOI LEE [DOB REDACTED] was also associated with the Honda Civic that was searched. Tha Htoo was advised of her constitutional rights and agreed to speak to an investigator. Kaw Htoo denied knowledge of either of the two checks that were remotely deposited into her Wells Fargo account.
Tha Htoo denied knowledge of the stolen checkbook and checks recovered from her Civic. She said her boyfriend, Ekoi Lee, was probably using her vehicle at the time these checks were forged and deposited. She said Ekoi Lee may have done the forgeries, but she did not. She said Ekoi Lee was the only other person with access to her bank account. Tha Htoo later left the investigator a voicemail message indicating she had spoken to Ekoi Lee, and he had admitted he had deposited the forged checks into her account.
