TALLAHASSEE, FL – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has arrested Khaliyah Symone Phillips, 21, of Tallahassee, on charges related to a forged $16,000 check in a broader investigation into mail theft in Franklin County.
Phillips was taken into custody on July 1 and charged with forgery of an altered check and passing a forged check, both third-degree felonies. The arrest followed a joint investigation by FDLE and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, with support from the Apalachicola Police Department.
The case began in March, when Apalachicola police alerted state investigators about a possibly forged check deposited into a Jacksonville bank. Authorities say Phillips deposited the check—originally stolen from the U.S. Postal Service—after altering it to list her as the payee, despite having no legal claim to the funds.
Phillips was booked into the Leon County Jail by FDLE’s Capitol Police. The case is being prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit.
FDLE and local agencies continue efforts to combat rising incidents of mail theft and financial fraud throughout the region.
