Cop charged in forgery

Tonight, a cop from Dangriga is behind bars, accused of forging government gas vouchers. Police reports are that Constable 730 Lino Herrera falsified some twenty-three fuel orders to obtain more than three hundred and sixty-five gallons of premium fuel. Investigations reveal that Herrera forged the signature of Inspector of Police Mark Steven and another man, Ewart Itza, on Belize Police Department Fuel Requisition Orders to gas up at Valley Road Service Station on the Stann Creek Valley Road. News 5 understands that the gas station’s accountant became suspicious of the activities and subsequently handed over the vouchers to police. According to investigators, a check of Herrera’s personal vehicle and his home has provided additional, but undisclosed, evidence linking the officer to the crime. As a result, on Monday Herrera was charged with twenty-five counts of forgery, twenty-five counts of obtaining property by deception, twenty-five counts of claiming upon a forged document and twenty-five counts of uttering upon a forged document. Herrera was scheduled to appear in Dangriga Magistrate’s Court late this afternoon.