Sheriff Darren Campbell stated On December 11, 2015, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office received multiple incident reports of Worthless Checks from both Union Grove Power Equipment and Progressive Power Equipment in Northern Iredell County. Detective Sgt. D. R. Getz with the Economic Crime Unit was assigned the cases. According to the incident reports both businesses had received personal checks from Jody Brady Settle, 44 years old, of 2849 Mountain Crest Rd, Jonesville, NC, that had been returned due to being written on a closed account. The total of the checks from Union Grove Power Equipment was for the amount of $1553.11. The total of the checks from Progressive Power Equipment was for the amount of $816.02. The businesses had been in contact with Mr. Settle and Settle agreed to pay the businesses the amount of the checks.
During the investigation, Detectives learned the checks in question were actually stolen from a residence in Jonesville, NC. Detectives also discovered additional checks that had been passed throughout multiple counties to purchase power equipment. Sergeant Getz located the items the suspect had obtained from Union Grove Power Equipment and Progressive Power Equipment at a pawn shop in North Wilkesboro, NC, and these items were recovered.
Sergeant Getz obtained warrants for arrest on Jody Brady Settle for four counts of forgery of endorsement, four counts of uttering a forged endorsement, and four counts of obtaining property by false pretense. Settle was arrested on January 1, 2016 and received a $5000.00 secure bond and placed in the Yadkin County Detention Center.