Suspect being investigated by 16 police agencies in county for passing bad check
Seattle Police have arrested the man they suspect is responsible for numerous thefts at businesses throughout Queen Anne, Magnolia, North Seattle and Madison Park.
Using the victims' description of the suspect - in his 30s, weighing 190 pounds at 5 feet, 11 inches, with brown hair, blue eyes and a scarred right ear - police identified the suspect, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was arrested on Feb. 25 after police found him at a motel near North 122nd Street and Aurora Avenue North.
The suspect, Randall Scott Bingham, was charged with two counts of theft in the third degree and one count of forgery on Feb. 28, according to the King County Prosecutor's Office, and two counts of ID theft in the second degree were added on March 6. Additional charges are pending.
Bingham would allegedly present the money order to cashiers, saying it was for $200 when it was actually written for $2, and exit with the change. He has a history of criminal activity in Oregon, California and Florida, with convictions for attempting to elude police, false reporting, burglary, failure to register as a sex offender, forgery, identity theft and drugs, according to charging documents.
Sixteen different police agencies in King County are investigating Bingham, as are jurisdictions in Snohomish County; Portland, Ore.; and Vancouver, Wash.
He is a suspect in more than 55 cases in Seattle, alone.
Bingham is in custody, with bail set at $75,000. A case-scheduling hearing is set for March 24.
Another incident
According to the police report, a man fitting Bingham's description had just defrauded a Ballard pizza shop using a travelers check. He also had an accomplice. Police weren't able to locate the two, though an employee provided the officers with descriptions of the suspects and their vehicle.
About a half-hour later, patrol officers found the suspects' vehicle at North 125th and Aurora, with the accomplice walking into a store. Police approached him and asked where the suspect was. The accomplice said he had just dropped him off at a nearby motel. The man was released.
The police then saw the suspect's girlfriend exit their motel room. She told them the suspect was still inside, so they knocked on the door.
Minutes later, other officers saw the suspect exit through a back window that was 6 feet above the ground. He was immediately taken into custody.
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