Police: Bellefonte man uses bad checks to buy vehicles

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Bellefonte man is behind bars, accused of using bad and stolen checks to scam vehicle sellers.

Jeremy Zelenky, 38, is accused of multiple felonies for attempting to use stolen checks to purchase vehicles online and then provide the sellers with bad checks.

On June 18, Bellefonte Borough Police were contacted by the first victim. Charges show he drove to the Bellefonte Borough to sell his Volkswagen Golf sedan to Zelenky June 6 after communicating on Facebook Marketplace. The victim said Zelenky provided him with a check for $2,400 for the vehicle, however, days later the victim’s bank let him know the check was fraudulent.

The victim told police he watched Zelenky sign the check but as a different person, who police identified as a second victim, charges show. Zelenky’s girlfriend was also there during the sale.

On June 21, officers were called to an apartment for a domestic dispute. According to the affidavit, the woman, who is identified by police as a witness, said her boyfriend Zelenky was trying to take her dog and lock her out of their apartment.

Once on scene, Zelenky was arrested for several active warrants in Centre and Clearfield Counties. During the arrest, police noted seeing a Ford key and a remote on the key chain inside Zelenky’s apartment.

While speaking with the witness, she that she was picked up that evening by Zelenky in a green Ford pick-up truck. According to the criminal complaint, she told officers he got the truck by “A bad check, I guess.” She continued to tell officers that Zelenky had allegedly stolen checks from two people, identified as victims two and three.

Police then questioned her on the Volkswagen and where the vehicle was now. According to the witness’s statement in the affidavit, she said the sedan had been towed from the VFW. She alleged that Zelenky had used bad checks to get a motorcycle before, but the owners came back and took it. She also told police that the Volkswagen now had a PA license plate, which she believed belonged to Zelenky’s father.

Officers took the Ford truck back to an impound lot to be searched. Police found a bank check from victim three, that was for $375, a wallet, 16 bank checks belonging to victim two, two PA license plates, two RC cars, a glass smoking pipe with meth residue and a cell phone. Charges show the plates on the truck belonged to a fourth victim from Peckville. Police said they were unable to determine the owner of the truck as the VIN was not legible.

On June 23, police contacted a Trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police regarding the stolen green Ford pickup truck. According to the criminal complaint, the Trooper said they had an active case in Central Hall regarding the sale of a truck using a bad check. The victim, identified as Victim Five, received a check from Zelenky for $1,600.50 for the truck, however, the check was not cashable.

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Zelenky is in the Centre County Jail having his bail denied for being a serious drug user, being on bail for other offenses and for not appearing in court, court documents show.

He is charged with felony counts of forgery, theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, identity theft, two counts of receiving stolen property and misdemeanors for bad checks and deals in titles and plates stolen.

His preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 3.

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