The Maplesville Police Department continues to investigate a case from December 2012 involving a Maplesville man and another unidentified suspect allegedly stealing and cashing business checks from Mims Memorial in Maplesville.

Wesley Matthew Melton, 20, was arrested Dec. 4 and charged with possession of a forged instrument, theft of property and burglary.

Melton is currently in the Chilton County Jail. Tim Mims, owner of Mims Memorial, said he and Melton are related.

Maplesville Police Chief Todd Ingram did not release the name of the other suspect thought to be connected to the incident but said police are still investigating and working on a warrant for the suspect’s arrest.

Ingram said the checks have been found in Chilton, Shelby, Bibb and Jefferson counties, and law enforcement agencies in the affected counties outside of Chilton are also investigating the case.

“We’re talking thousands of dollars,” Ingram said, referring to the amount of money cashed from the checks that have been recovered so far. “He (Nelson) could be warranted to pay it back.”

According to Ingram, the case is classified as a felony meaning the suspects could be prosecuted in court later.

The incident occurred Dec. 3 and Mims filed the report with the Maplesville Police Department on Dec. 4.

Mims said his secretary discovered that two of his checkbooks were missing Dec. 4.

Mims said the checkbooks contained several checks he had already signed, and he estimated about 100 checks ranging anywhere from $400 to $1,200 each had been written since the incident.

“There’s no telling how many thousands of dollars have been written,” Mims said. “I’d say probably in the neighborhood of $50,000. A lot of the checks were made out to individuals and they would take them to the bank and get them cashed.”

Ingram said Melton’s arrest came after he had fled from Chilton County to a hotel in Millbrook after the incident.

Millbrook police responded to a call at the hotel for disorderly conduct involving Melton and notified Maplesville police, who had already issued a warrant for his arrest.

“I’m just kind of waiting to see how it all turns out,” Mims said. “There’s no telling how many people are involved in it.”