Hunter
08/29/22
An Iowa City man already facing charges after falsely reporting a robbery at a convenience store he was working now faces forgery charges after allegedly falsifying a check from a local group’s account.
Police say the incident occurred in January of this year, when now 29-year-old Michael Preslicka of Plum Street allegedly forged a check written to a different individual in the amount of $1400.95 which was successfully cashed. The check book belonged to an area paleontology society and was in the possession of the group’s treasurer, Preslicka’s father.
Preslicka had been staying with his father in the days leading up to the incident, and reportedly knew where the checkbook was stored in the residence. He was not seen or heard from after the group’s checkbook went missing and the check was cashed.
The individual who cashed the forged check was identified as Austin Snakenberg. He allegedly told authorities that Preslicka approached him and asked him to do so because he didn’t have an ID. Snakenberg said Preslicka wrote the check to him, he cashed it, and gave the money to Preslicka.
A warrant was issued on August 26th, and Preslicka was taken into custody Sunday afternoon. He faces a Forgery charge and could be sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted.
Last week, Preslicka claimed that he was robbed in the overnight hours while working at the Mormon Trek Boulevard Kum & Go, but investigators believed the robbery was staged to steal money from his employer. He and 28-year-old Clarence Jackson of North Liberty were seen together the day after the alleged robbery and were subsequently charged with 5th degree Theft and False Report of an Indictable Offense to a Public Entity. The two charges combined carry a maximum jail sentence of 13 months.
Snakenberg, the man who cashed the forged check, faces a felony charge after he and the woman he lived with allegedly allowed their South Gilbert Street apartment to be used to host the use of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. A person overdosed at the residence on April 6th of this year, and Snakenberg was charged with hosting a gathering where controlled substances are used and possession of meth. He faces up to six years in prison for that incident.
