JONESBORO, Ark. — A Jonesboro man faces a felony charge after police say he and another individual attempted to cash a forged check at a local bank.
Joey Lee Jones has been charged with second-degree forgery, a Class C felony, following an incident at a Centennial Bank drive-thru on October 10. According to court records, Special Judge Barbara Halsey found probable cause for Jones’s arrest on Thursday, November 12, and set his bond at $1,350 cash-only—the same amount as the sum on the check in question.
According to a probable cause affidavit, bank staff contacted the account holder listed on the check, who confirmed that he neither knew Jones nor issued him any checks. The affidavit also notes discrepancies in the check’s amount, with one value listed as $1,300 and another as $1,350.
Police say Jones and another man, identified as Timothy Busch, fled the bank during the phone call to police. Bench warrants were subsequently issued for both individuals. On November 12, a detective informed authorities that Jones had been taken to the Craighead County Detention Center. The affidavit does not indicate whether Busch has been apprehended.
Prosecutors stated in court that Jones is not considered the primary suspect in the case. They initially requested a $2,000 cash or surety bond, but Judge Halsey ultimately set it lower at $1,350 cash-only.
Jones is set to appear in court on January 25, 2027, at 8:30 a.m., in the Craighead County Courthouse in Jonesboro, according to initial court filings.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.