FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A Gary, Minnesota woman is facing three felony charges after prosecutors say she wrote bad checks to a Sacred Heart school fundraiser and a local sports equipment company, using a bank account that had been closed for fraud years earlier.
Kelsey Rae Wastweet, 36, of Gary, was charged June 15 in Polk County District Court with three counts of felony issuance of dishonored checks.
According to a criminal complaint, Wastweet wrote two checks in the summer of 2025 to the RaiseRight gift card fundraiser program at Sacred Heart school in East Grand Forks. The first check, dated July 22, 2025, was for $996. The second, dated July 30, 2025, was for $9,750. Both checks bounced and were returned as “unable to locate account.”
RaiseRight also reported that Wastweet placed two additional online gift card orders through the fundraiser on Aug. 6,…
Investment fraud targets the human desire for financial growth by promising high returns with “low to no risk.”
- Ponzi Schemes: Named after Charles Ponzi, these schemes pay “returns” to earlier investors using the capital brought in by newer investors. There is no actual underlying business; the system collapses when new recruitment slows down.
- Pyramid Schemes: Similar to Ponzi schemes, but participants are usually required to sell a product or service. The primary “profit” comes from the recruitment fees of new members rather than actual product sales.
- Pump and Dump: Fraudsters spread false, positive rumors about a cheap stock (the “pump”) to drive up the price. Once the price peaks, they sell their shares (the “dump”), leaving other investors with worthless stock.