PD: Jewelry Thief Uses Fake Check at Walmart

A Saukville woman already facing felony charges after stealing rings from a Cedarburg jewelry store now also faces forgery charges after attempting to use her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend's check at Walmart.

Onyetta Kretlow, 32, was charged Tuesday in Ozaukee County Court with a felony of forgering-uttering, and faces 6 years in prison as well as $10,000 in fines for those charges.

Kretlow had been at Walmart at about 10 a.m. Jan. 14 attempting to purchase items in the electronics department, according to the criminal complaint. The Walmart employee told police she recognized Kretlow, but that the defendant attempted to pay for her items with a check in Sarah Bol's name. The clerk asked for ID, and when Kretlow couldn't produce any she paid for some items with cash and then left.

Later that day, Sarah Bol's checkbook was turned is as lost and found at the Port Washington Police Department; the check that Kretlow had attempted to use in her purchase was the only one missing, the criminal complaint said.

Police made contact with Bol, who said she knew Kretlow as her ex's new girlfriend, and that when the two had broken up some of her stuff had been left behind, the complaint said. Bol believed those items had been thrown away; regardless, the account connected to those checks had been closed for some time.

Police confronted Kretlow, who told them that she and her boyfriend had found Bol's checkbook and thrown it away, but one of the checks must have gone loose in the drawer so, according to the complaint, Kretlow must have grabbed it by mistake. Considering that the clerk had noticed the check was signed Sarah Bol, the officer told Kretlow this was not a believable story.

Kretlow is also facing retail theft charges after stealing jewelry from Ambruster Jewelers in Cedarburg, and getting caught after attempting to resell it at a nearby jeweler.

Kretlow will appear in court again at 9:15 a.m. March 12.