AWOL service member accused of fraud

TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) - An AWOL service member is facing charges, after Town of Tonawanda Police say he was passing bad checks while posing as a serviceman deploying overseas.

Police say 21-year-old Steven D. Burns of Sanborn would wear his military uniform, claim he was deploying overseas in a few days and state that he needed the cash immediately. According to police, sympathetic clerks would accommodate him before realizing the checks did not clear.

Town of Tonawanda Police Lt. Nick Bado said, "The check was from another bank. They couldn't quickly verify it. But appreciating what sacrifices military people make, they wanted to accommodate him. They cashed the check for him only to find out that the account was closed."

Burns was arrested Monday for cashing personal checks on his closed checking account at Evans Bank. He allegedly perpetrated the same fraud at least 30 separate times through Erie and Niagara Counties.

"He tried this at eight separate Evans Bank branches. Five of them denied him. Three of them did cash the check for him at $300 a piece. A total of 30 separate incidents have now been reported," Lt. Bado said.

Burns, who is currently listed as AWOL from his reserve unit. Lt. Bado said what makes this case particularly disturbing is that Burns used his military service as part of his story.

"He originally had some deployment papers going back a few months. Those have been rescinded due to his status as being AWOL. However, he continues to perpetuate this story and present this as if he's still leaving to gain sympathy," Lt. Bado said.

Authorities were able to convince Burns to turn himself in. Burns was arraigned in Town of Tonawanda Court and taken to the Erie County Holding Center on $5,000 bail.

Lt. Bado says the U.S. Secret Service is also investigating this case.