Third suspect arrested in alleged scheme to steal checks from Iowa City apartment rental company

Lang
11/21/23

A third suspect has been arrested as part of an alleged scheme to steal checks from an Iowa City apartment rental company.

30-year-old Adrian Bussey of Indianapolis was booked into the Johnson County Jail just after 2:00 Monday afternoon. According to police, Bussey and two other Indianapolis residents…26-year-old Kalvin Brown and 26-year-old Bishop Coleman… stole multiple rent checks and money orders during the overnight hours between July 2nd and July 5th from the rent payment dropbox at KMB management on Maiden Lane. The management company estimated the amount of the lost checks exceeded $8,900.

Additional surveillance video showed the suspects reportedly executing the same types of thefts in Urbandale, Ames and Cedar Rapids during the same period of time. The suspects allegedly had been working in unison using the same method of operation; Brown would get a rental car from an unwitting third party, while his brother would use a rodent adhesive trap attached to a string to fish out checks and money orders from drop boxes. Coleman…apparently the only one of the suspects with a valid driver’s license…would drive them to the locations.

All three suspects are charged with 2nd Degree Theft and Conspiracy to Commit a Felony. If convicted on both counts, they could each be sentenced to up to ten years in prison.