Financial crimes are increasing

Check fraud is on the increase in Durant, according to police.

On June 25, the Durant Police Department took a report at Rhinestone Cowgirl (144 W. Main St.) regarding check fraud.

A representative with Rhinestone Cowgirl told police that two males and a female entered the store on June 24. They purchased approximately $650.00 worth of items with a check.

Police said it was later discovered that the check had been stolen from a deceased person.

The Durant Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division conducted an investigation. With the assistance of the Bryan County District Attorney’s Office and local businesses, it was determined the suspects had passed four additional checks at other local businesses in the City of Durant.

The total amount of all five checks was $1,807.44. According to police, two of the suspects were identified as Kandra Murphy and Steven Breckenridge from Mabank, Texas.

A confession was obtained and the property purchased with the stolen checks was located and released back to the owners, police said.

“There has recently been an increase in financial crimes in the City of Durant,” Sgt. Brock Jones, of the Durant Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division said. “Of theses crimes, many of the suspects are from the Texas area. The Durant Criminal Investigations Division has been very successful in the investigation of these crimes with the assistance from the Secret Service, Bryan County District Attorney’s Office, Texas Law Enforcement agencies, local area Law Enforcement agencies, and local businesses. Prosecution of these financial crimes has also been very successful, obtaining felony convictions for both State and Federal charges. The Durant Criminal Investigations Division would like to thank those agencies and businesses for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of these financial crimes.”

In other crimes, Michael Dewayne Campo, 26, Armstrong, was charged Monday with first-degree rape. Campo was arrested after Durant Police and Bryan County EMS responded Sunday to a call about a woman hyperventilating. According to a probable cause affidavit, the woman said she had been drinking earlier that day and passed out at Campo’s residence.

According to the affidavit, the woman said that when she woke up, Campo was having sex with her. She told police that she then called her friend to pick her up.

Campo, the affidavit states, said he felt like he took advantage of the woman, and if he needed to go to jail to help the woman not hurt, then that’s what needed to happen. He was booked into jail and has since bonded out.

Sunday, the Durant Police Department took three reports on three business burglaries. Arnett Insurance, Fashion Cleaners, and Re Run Junction told police that their businesses were broken into sometime between 8:00 p.m. on July 30 and 6 a.m. July 31.

Two of the businesses were entered by prying a door and window open and the other business had the door kicked in. The only thing missing from the businesses was a total of $308.00 cash. All three burglaries are believed to be connected.

Police are actively investigating these burglaries. Anyone with information on this is asked to please contact the Durant Crime Stoppers at 580-924-8845.