Westbury man charged in checking scam

A Westbury man was arrested Wednesday after an investigation revealed he used a fraudulent check to open a bank account, then tried to deposit another fraudulent check into the account last week, police said.

Nassau County police said Ardley Joseph, 25, of Livingston Street, used his own name when he opened the account earlier at a Manhattan branch of Capital One Bank -- which helped police track him down.

The investigation found that Joseph opened the original account using a fraudulent check, then, on May 17, made two withdrawals for a total of $8,600.

Later that day, police said, Joseph entered the Capital One branch on Post Avenue in Westbury and attempted to deposit a fraudulent check into the same account. When he realized bank personnel were looking into his account activity, Joseph fled, police said.

Joseph was charged with third-degree grand larceny and second-degree possession of a forged instrument, police said. He is scheduled for arraignment Thursday morning in First District Court in Hempstead, police said.