Police: Jung Jae Lee and Wong Seo Check fraud scheme reaches $300K

Gwinnett County investigators said the amount of stolen money in a major check fraud operation has more than tripled.

Channel 2's Kerry Kavanaugh first reported in May that police arrested a man they say stole $90,000 with bad checks.

Kavanaugh has since leaed another police agency is investigating the same operation.

Police said Jung Jae Lee and his accomplice, Wong Seo, defrauded banks out of roughly $300,000.

"They would go to one place; when they wouldn't take any more they would go to someplace else," said Maj. Don Woodruff with the Duluth Police Department.

Woodruff told Kavanaugh investigators have studied months' worth of surveillance video to put it all together.

Police have surveillance video of Lee depositing a bad check at a local Bank of America. They said Lee would then immediately withdraw from the account.

"As soon as he would get to the max limit, he would move on and open up another account," Woodruff said.

Duluth police said much of the alleged fraud in their jurisdiction happened at a Chase Bank branch on Old Peachtree Road.

Police said Lee not only used fake businesses, but fake names as well. Police said his aliases included: Mak Suh Won, Peter Han, Steven Lee and Seong Yea Park Suh.

Police said aside from the alleged activity in Georgia, Jung Jae Lee faces charges out of Nevada.

Police are investigating possible fraudulent activity in Minnesota. Police also said Lee had fake ID's from Tennessee and Washington state when they arrested him.

Both Duluth and Gwinnett County police are sharing their case information with the Secret Service, which is looking into how far the check operation extends.

Police said while they don't target individual customer accounts, we all end up paying in the end.

"The banks have to recoup their money through higher fees and, of course, then we all pay for it," Woodruff said.

Police have not arrested the alleged accomplice Wong Seo. They said they are awaiting indictments.