Covington woman faces fraud, elder abuse charges after trying to cash stolen check, cops say

A Newton County woman was arrested on fraud and elder abuse charges Tuesday after authorities said she tried to cash a stolen check written by an older couple.

Sandra Dunn Paulsen, 53, of Covington, was arrested by Fayette County deputies at her home. The check she tried to cash was stolen in March when someone broke into a business mailbox in Fayetteville, Sheriff Barry Babb told the Fayette Citizen. The business was alerted when Paulsen reportedly tried to cash the check in Chamblee, according to the sheriff’s office.

Babb told the newspaper the check was written by an elderly couple as payment for services. Because they both signed it, Paulsen faces two counts of financial identity fraud and two counts of elder abuse.

She was booked into the Fayette County Jail, where she’s being held on $16,200 bond, online records show.

In other news:

Gov. Brian Kemp for the first time spelled out that cities and counties can’t mandate the use of masks, triggering a furious reaction from local government officials who accused the Republican of placing his political interests above their efforts to protect residents from a growing pandemic.

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Henri.hollis@ajc.com