New York Man Arrested for Forgery and Felony Theft

Sussex County, DE - The Delaware State Police have arrested 32-year-old Michael Smith of Bronx, New York. He was arrested for forgery and felony theft.

On February 2, 2026, troopers were contacted by a 75-year-old Milford woman. She reported a fraud incident regarding a missing payment. The victim stated she had mailed a check to pay a bill. She was later notified that the payment was not received by the intended recipient.

It was soon discovered that $6,000 had been withdrawn from the victim's account. During the investigation, detectives determined that the check was intercepted. The check was then altered and cashed at a bank in New York. Michael Smith was identified as the suspect through investigative means. A warrant was subsequently obtained for his arrest.

On March 16, 2026, Smith turned himself in at Justice of the Peace Court 2. He was taken to Troop 7 for processing. Smith was charged with Second-Degree Forgery, which involves altering the written instrument of another person without authority.

He was also charged with Theft of $1,500 or Greater where the victim is 62 years of age or older. Both charges are classified as felonies. He was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2 and released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.

Disclosure: All individuals mentioned in this article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Eastern Shore Undercover® does not express or imply any opinion regarding the incident reported.