Arapaho, OK — Charges were filed May 12 in Custer County District Court against three individuals accused of working together to pass forged checks and fraudulently withdraw money from a local bank.
Hunter Ray Erwin, 22, of Ft. Cobb, faces two felony charges: Forgery in the Second Degree and Conspiracy to Commit a Felony. His bond was set at $15,000.
Carlos Reyes, 48, and Kristy Van Allen, 50, both of Clinton, were each charged with Conspiracy to Commit a Felony. Van Allen also faces a Forgery in the Second Degree charge. Bond for both Reyes and Van Allen was set at $10,000 each.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the investigation began March 11 when officers responded to Oklahoma Bank & Trust in Clinton for a fraud complaint. According to court documents, bank officials reported two suspicious deposits made into a new account opened by Erwin — checks totaling $1,500 allegedly written from the account of an inmate incarcerated since 2024.
Surveillance video and witness interviews led police to identify Van Allen and Reyes as participants. Van Allen was allegedly captured on video depositing the forged checks into Erwin’s account. She later withdrew the funds and reportedly gave $100 to Erwin, who used the money to open the account.
During an interview with authorities, Erwin admitted he was recruited at a bar in Eakly by an unidentified man who offered him $100 to open a bank account. He claimed he didn’t know the checks were fraudulent and was told to meet the man at Sonic in Clinton the next day to hand over the debit card.
Reyes and Van Allen denied involvement when questioned. However, both were allegedly seen on bank surveillance footage and in a vehicle spotted near a residence tied to Erwin during the investigation.
Arrest warrants have been issued for all three individuals. If convicted, they each face up to 10 years in prison for the conspiracy charges and additional time for forgery.
