Deputies arrested a Shelby County man July 10 and charged him with theft of a boat in the first degree by deception.

Park

Brandon Michael Park of 3588 Highway 311 in Shelby County bought a boat June 19 from a local boating and equipment business he had visited several times recently, using a personal check for the full amount, which was just over $63,000.

Store personnel attempted to verify the check, but were unable to do so. They then received a call from a person who identified himself as a Regions employee verifying the check’s validity, completing the transaction.

Eventually, the business was notified the check had been written from a “frozen/ suspicious activity” account. The business notified Park several times who assured them it was a simple banking error that he would clear up, but no funds ever materialized.

The business reported the problem to the sheriff’s office July 1, and an investigation showed Regions had closed the account. Other evidence was also found that indicated this was a willful attempt at check fraud. Park had an unidentified acquaintance return the boat to the business for “warranty repairs” July 2. The police obtained a warrant and arrested Park July 10 in the Huntsville area.