Man accused of stealing, forging checks throughout Pittsburgh arrested

PITTSBURGH — Police arrested a man Thursday accused of stealing checks from the mail and reproducing them to cash himself.

Investigators said Paul Gratzmiller, 65, is facing forgery, theft by deception and writing bad checks charges.

According to police, Gratzmiller is accused of stealing checks from the mail, reproducing them using the company’s routing number and information, and then cashing the counterfeit checks himself.

“The checks in the mail were stolen and he used that information to create forged checks,” North Strabane Police Det. John Wybranowski said.

Authorities said Gratzmiller cashed the checks at banks throughout the Pittsburgh area, including Sewickley, Moon Township and Mount Lebanon.

Bowser Cadillac in North Strabane Township is one of the many businesses Gratzmiller is accused of victimizing.

The business manager told Channel 11’s Jodine Costanzo that she first noticed a problem when she found a discrepancy in checks.

Other alleged victims include a recycling company on the South Side and Property Managers in Monroeville.

“The common link is that mail was being stolen from vendors that our victim mailed checks to,” Wybranowski said.

Investigators said Gratzmiller had cashed about $12,000 in checks when he was caught.

WPXI