Man charged in check-cashing scheme

PANAMA CITY -- A Panama City man will spend the next several years on probation for a role he played in a Georgia-based bogus check-cashing operation, according to court documents.

Ernest Jones, 36, pleaded no contest to grand theft and passing forged instruments charges Monday after cashing fraudulent checks at Friendly Check Cashing, 540 E. Sixth St. Jones cashed his last check for $828 as part of the Georgia-based fraudulent check-cashing ring, police reported.

Jones provided a copy his driver’s license to Friendly Check Cashing, which is standard operating procedure of the business. He was sentenced to five years of probation.