No haul: Orem man allegedly bought U-Haul truck-full of goods with bad checks

Orem police have arrested an 18-year-old man after allegedly finding him in possession of a stolen U-Haul van and more than $14,000 in goods purchased with a bad check.

Orem police Sgt. Craig Martinez said Thursday that the investigation began Tuesday when officers responded to a check fraud complaint at Park Sports at 644 N. State St. The suspect purportedly had written a check for more than $4,000 on an account that later was learned to have been closed.

The man was caught by the store's video security camera, and an employee saw him driving away with a U-Haul truck bearing Arizona plates.

On Wednesday, an Orem officer spotted the U-Haul truck parked near a residence. Inside the home, he found a man matching the suspect's description, arrested him and booked him into Utah County jail on suspicion of two felony bad check counts. There could be additional charges, Martinez said, noting detectives continue to look for other potential victims.

Investigators learned that the U-Haul truck had been due back to the company several weeks ago, and they also found that the suspect matched a man who had written another bad check at the Lehi Cabela's store for more than $10,000.

Inside the U-Haul truck, police allegedly found several items that the suspect had purchased.

remims@sltrib.com