MASON CITY, Iowa - A Mason City man wanted for writing thousands of dollars’ worth of forged checks in order to purchase lottery tickets has been taken into custody.
Michael Rasmussen, 41, was taken into custody in the 1200 block of Plymouth Rd. on Thursday.
Rasmussen was arrested for felony ongoing criminal conduct and drug charges.
Mason City police said between January and May of this year, Rasmussen forged around 24 checks that resulted in $3,225 worth of losses to stores.
“Many of those stolen, forged checks were used to illegally buy Iowa lottery tickets as well as other items,” the criminal complaint states.
Additionally, Rasmussen wrote nearly $1,000 worth of checks from his own closed account, police said.
Police went to pick Rasmussen up on a warrant Thursday and was found to have methamphetamine in a chewing tobacco tin.
