According to a report by the Crossville Police Department, on January 12, 2026, Officer Brittany Price of the Crossville Police Department responded to One Bank of Tennessee regarding a potential fraudulent check being presented at the drive-through. The suspect, Joseph Ellenburg, was in a maroon car attempting to cash a check for $2,555.90 drawn on Zurich Homes, Inc.

Bank employees noted the check was fully typed except for Ellenburg’s name, which was handwritten in ink, prompting them to contact the issuer. The owner confirmed the check had originally been made payable to Lowe’s and mailed on January 6, 2026, but Lowe’s never received it.

When questioned, Ellenburg received his Miranda rights and agreed to speak. He claimed he obtained the check from selling a truck (a Toyota Tacoma) to a man on the previous Friday, who said it was a work bonus, though dispatch found no record of the man’s name. Ellenburg could not recall the truck’s prior registration or owner. He had been stopped by police the day before (January 11), where officers saw the check, and he told them it was his employer bonus.

The bookkeeper for Zurich Homes verified the check was printed to Lowe’s and placed in the mailbox, and neither she nor the owner knew Joseph Ellenburg. With evidence of alteration—including signing and attempting to cash the modified check—Ellenburg was charged with Criminal Simulation and Forgery.

He was transported to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, served with a warrant, and the check was placed into evidence at the Crossville Police Department.