Police: Brooklyn woman tried to use fraudulent travelers checks

A Brooklyn woman was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument after she tried to cash fraudulent American Express checks Tuesday at a Marshalls store in Freeport, police said.

Shirlena Cooper, 21, of 1615 Fulton St., was jailed Wednesday on bail of $2,500 cash or bond at her arraignment in First District Court in Hempstead on four counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.

Police said Cooper attempted to use "numerous fraudulent American Express Travelers Cheques" to make purchases, but when questioned about the checks by a store employee "grabbed the checks back from the cashier" -- and attempted to leave the store.

When the store clerk began to question the woman, the exchange was witnessed by an off-duty Hempstead Village police officer, who detained the suspect for Freeport Village police.

The incident occurred at the Marshalls on Sunrise Highway at about 2 p.m., police said.

Cooper is due back in court Oct. 10.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”