Trio used stolen checks to buy car and TV, police say

Corbin police say they’ve arrested two men and a woman who allegedly bought two cars, a television and stole thousands of dollars in cash with checks taken from a Lexington man’s home.
Harold Lee Williams, 37, of Lexington; John Michael Williams, 36, of Indianapolis; and Ruth Ellison, 31, of Corbin are all accused of receiving stolen property, possession of forged checks and theft of identity in the case.
According to Corbin Police officer Glenn Taylor, the three were arrested around 2:45 p.m. Monday after police learned they had gone on a spending spree with personal checks and a social security card taken from the residence of Lexington resident Carlton Wing.
Wing’s home was burglarized August 19 and Taylor thinks the checks and card were taken during the burglary.
Police got onto the scam when the three attempted to cash a check for $829 at a Whitaker Bank branch location on Cumberland Falls Hwy.
“Luckily, the banks were kind of on top of it and we were able to catch them,” Taylor said. “They were smart enough to stall them until I could get there.”
Harold and John Williams are brothers. Ellison, Taylor said, is their cousin.
The investigation led authorities to a home on Sixth Street in Corbin Monday night where the three allegedly had some property that was purchased with the checks.
“They’ve got family on Sixth Street and they were spending the night,” Taylor said. “They were telling them they had come into all this money and were buying things for them.”
Police say Ellison hadn’t seen Harold or John Williams for about 10 years before they came into town Sunday.
On Tuesday, authorities located a 1995 Chrysler LeBaron the three supposedly bought with a $1,100 check from a London auto auction. Taylor said he suspects they bought another car before police caught up to them.
Besides the vehicle, police have also recovered some money, a 27-inch flat-screen TV, clothing, a DVD player, check stubs and two full boxes of checks and a wallet. Taylor said they had written checks and gotten money at other businesses before finally being captured.
Taylor said John Williams is wanted in Indianapolis on burglary, robbery and criminal confinement charges. Harold Williams is on probation for cocaine possession charges and has been ordered not to leave Fayette County as a condition of his release. Police say Ellison has been cooperative with the investigation.
Officers Robbie Hodge and Chad Gregory assisted in the investigation. Taylor said more charges against the three could be filed.