Man charged with felonies after buying lawnmower using a fraudulent check in Ottawa, police say

A 70-year-old Chicago man arrested this summer in Livingston County now faces new felony charges in Ottawa after police said he bought a lawnmower using a fraudulent check and ID.

The Ottawa Police Department responded Aug. 6 to Stoller International, 3196 Route 23, regarding a a person who had purchased a lawnmower using a fraudulent check and ID, Ottawa police said in a news release. The lawnmower was valued at more than $10,000. A multi-agency investigation began because of the suspected individuals committing the same or similar offense over a large area of northern Illinois and Indiana, police said. Through this investigation, Ottawa Police identified Wellington Tyson as a suspect.

Tyson was stopped Aug. 12 by the Illinois State Police near Pontiac while police said he was driving a stolen U-haul truck. The same truck was used in the theft from Ottawa, police said. Ottawa Police and Illinois State Police were able to recover evidence from the stolen U-haul that linked Tyson to the theft in Ottawa, along with several other jurisdictions, police said. Tyson was charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle in Livingston County and was granted pretrial release.

Ottawa Police forwarded its investigation to the La Salle County State’s Attorney’s Office and on Oct. 8 Tyson was charged with the following in La Salle County: identity theft of more than $10,000, a class 1 felony; theft by deception of more than $10,000, a class 2 felony; and two counts of forgery, a class 3 felony.

Tyson was issued a summons to appear in court. The Ottawa police were assisted in the investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies throughout northern Illinois and Indiana as well as the La Salle County State’s Attorney’s Office