A man with long dreadlocks in a black raincoat tried to cash a forged check at a Maple Grove credit union, then ran from police through traffic before being caught.
Tywin Marcell Bender, 36, of Maple Grove, faces charges of check forgery and fleeing a peace officer by a means other than a motor vehicle, according to a complaint filed Monday in Hennepin County District Court.
According to court records, Maple Grove police responded to Wings Financial Credit Union at about 3:30 p.m. on June 26 after a teller reported a suspect attempting to deposit a forged check using the automatic teller system. The teller told officers the system flagged the check as counterfeit and locked it. Staff asked the suspect to wait while they secretly called police.
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The teller explained that earlier in the day, he had received an email about a similar counterfeit check presented at a Columbia Heights location. The email included an image of a forged check made out to Tywin Marcell Bender, drawn on a Wells Fargo account and listing “ROBBINSDALE AREA SCHOOOLS” as the issuer, with a spelling error in “schools.” The check offered in Maple Grove matched these indicators, including the misspelled issuer and being made out to Bender.
When officers arrived at the credit union, they saw Bender leaving the building. A Maple Grove officer gave verbal commands to stop and began to detain him by grabbing one of his hands. Bender pulled away and ran from the officer, fleeing on foot through traffic as officers continued to order him to stop and told him he was under arrest.
Other responding officers apprehended Bender after the foot chase. He was taken into custody and is being held at the Hennepin County Jail.
The complaint does not mention any prior convictions for Bender.
Bender remains in custody at the Hennepin County Jail as of Wednesday. The charges were filed June 29.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s fraud statutes are organized by conduct: § 609.821 (financial transaction card fraud), § 609.527 (identity theft) and § 609.625 (aggravated forgery). Felony fraud convictions can carry up to 20 years in prison when loss exceeds $35,000 or eight or more victims are alleged.
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Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
