ROCHESTER — A Rochester man is accused of depositing multiple altered, fraudulent checks into his own accounts.
Cory Ray Peck, 42, was charged with three counts of check forgery — make or alter a check Tuesday, June 16.
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He is accused of successfully cashing about $14,500 worth of fraudulent checks, and attempting to deposit at least another $1,000.
According to court documents, Peck allegedly cashed a $967.19 check at Huntington Bank on June 13, which had been written and mailed to Family Tree LLC on June 2.
In a second case, Mayo Employees Federal Credit Union reported that Peck tried to cash a check for $948.47 at the SE Rochester location Dec. 10, 2025.
The credit union suspected the check had been altered, and refused to deposit it.
Law enforcement contacted the check-writer, who said he’d mailed a $148.47 check to Minnesota Energy earlier. Both the…
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MANAGEMENT & CULTURE (THE “TONE AT THE TOP”)
Fraud thrives in “sloppy” environments where leadership ignores the rules.
- The Fraud Triangle: For fraud to occur, three elements must be present: Pressure (the need for money), Rationalization (thinking “I deserve this”), and Opportunity (weak controls). You can only control the Opportunity.
- Whistleblower Hotline: Provide an anonymous way for staff to report “odd behavior.” Most internal frauds are caught via tips, not audits.
- Background Checks: Conduct credit and criminal record checks for all employees in financial or data-sensitive roles.
- Annual Ethics Training: Make sure every staff member knows that the company has a Zero Tolerance policy toward “borrowing” from petty cash or fudging overtime.