West Bloomfield Resident Bouncing Checks; Shoplifter Caught With Genesis Green Coffee

A West Bloomfield man is under investigation for writing bad checks to businesses in several communities, police said. A Bloomfield Hills business reported that two checks received from the same customer totalling more than $1,000 bounced this week, according to reports from the Bloomfield Hills Department of Public Safety police reports.

Employees at the business, located in the 39000 block of Woodward Avenue, called officers with the Bloomfield Hills Department of Public Safety to report the frauds at about 1 p.m. on March 12, reports said. The manager said a customer from West Bloomfield purchased products and service for more than $1,000 in January, and used two personal checks to pay. After both checks bounced, the manager said he left several voice-mail messages with the customer that they would return them during non-business hours.

Investigators said they learned of at least two other local police agencies with  similar complaints about the individual, and the case remains open.

Shoplifter nabs dieting coffee

A 38-year-old Brighton woman faces charges for retail fraud after she tried to steal more than $100 in coffee from Whole Foods Market, police reports said. Store security cameras caught the woman placing four bottles of Genesis Green coffee in her large purse and then try to leave the store at about 3:30 p.m. March 1. The coffee, valued at $119, is associated with weight loss and weight control.

Security guards confronted the woman outside the store and detained her until officers arrived. Officers learned she also had a warrant for a similar crime in Southfield, and they turned the case over to investigators there. Charges are pending, according to reports.