Arrest warrant issued for Maryland man accused of stealing nearly $80,000 from a Crystal Lake church in a check-cashing scam

McHenry County authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a Maryland man who allegedly stole nearly $80,000 from a Crystal Lake church in a check fraud scheme.

Reginald Porter of Capital Heights, Maryland, is charged with three counts of theft between $10,000 and $100,000 and one count of forgery for his role in the December check fraud.

Porter could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison if found guilty of the most serious crime, and the charge carries probation.

According to police records obtained by the Lake & McHenry Scanner, St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church sent a paycheck totaling $79,136 to the Diocesan Investment and Loan Office in Rockford on Dec. 12, 2023. The money was intended to cover one month's salaries, records show.

However, police records show that the check never arrived at Diocesan Investments. Instead, bank records show that Porter cashed the check in Maryland on March 25, 2024.

The loan office contacted the church in March

The documents show that neither church officials nor loan office employees knew who Reginald Porter was.

The church contacted Crystal Lake Police and an investigation was launched.

After a lengthy investigation involving Maryland authorities, the FBI and the United States Postal Service, charges were filed and an arrest warrant was issued for Porter on Sept. 9, court records show.