Friends Allegedly Received Checks : County Clerk Booked in Forgery Case

A county payroll clerk and three acquaintances have been arrested for allegedly writing and cashing county checks totaling about $6,000, police said Thursday.

The employee, Ella Pleasant, 34, of San Diego, was taken into custody Tuesday in the auditor-controller’s offices at the County Administration Center and booked on suspicion of forgery. She was released Wednesday on her own recognizance.

Pleasant, a payroll clerk for five years, during the past few weeks allegedly wrote 10 checks ranging from $350 to $895 and passed them to friends, said Detective Greg Hoolihan.

Birgie Globe, 32, David Journey, 31, and Sylvester Henry, 35, all of San Diego, also were arrested on suspicion of forgery, Hoolihan said.

The investigation began March 13 when a check-cashing business in Southeast San Diego notified police that Globe, not a county employee, had cashed a county payroll check after Pleasant vouched for her, Hoolihan said.

Hoolihan said eight checks had been recovered by Thursday, and the remaining two, cashed for unknown amounts, should be returned by today.

“I don’t believe that anyone else was involved,” Hoolihan said. “She (Pleasant) was giving money to her friends.”

County Auditor and Controller Rod Calvao said his department notified police last week upon discovering that some warrants were missing.

Calvao said there is no evidence that other county employees were aware of the alleged forgery or were involved.