MAN BUYS TWO VEHICLES WITH BAD CHECKS

A PORT CHARLOTTE MAN WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY AFTER HE PURCHASED TWO VEHICLES WITH CHECKS FROM A CLOSED ACCOUNT.  DEPUTIES SAY 27 YEAR OLD RYAN HEMBREE VISITED A PUNTA GORDA DEALERSHIP AND PURCHASED A 2006 HUMMER H3 WITH A $22,000 CHECK EARLY IN THE MONTH.  HE THEN PURCHASED A 2005 FORD F250 PICKUP AT A PORT CHARLOTTE DEALERSHIP BY WRITING A CHECK FOR MORE THAN $38,000.  BOTH DEALERSHIPS RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM THEIR BANKS DAYS AFTER THE TRANSACTIONS THAT THE ACCOUNT THEY WERE DRAWN ON WAS CLOSED.  BOTH DEALERSHIPS WERE ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF HEMBREE, WHO TOLD THEM HE ACCIDENTALLY WROTE A CHECK FROM A WRONG ACCOUNT.  HE PROMISED TO STOP IN AND CLEAR UP THE MATTER, BUT NEVER DID IN EITHER CASE.  HE DID RETURN ONE OF THE VEHICLES EARLIER THIS MONTH, TELLING THE DEALERSHIP HE WOULD BE BACK WITH PAYMENT.  THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS SPOTTED IN THE PARKING LOT OF A PORT CHARLOTTE RESTAURANT AND TOWED AWAY.  HEMBREE WAS CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF OBTAINING A VEHICLE BY FRAUD OR FALSE REPRESENTATION AND TWO COUNTS OF UTTERING A WORTHLESS CHECK.  HE POSTED A $10,000 BOND AND WAS RELEASED YESTERDAY.