I am not a criminal!!!

In my first post about Nigeria, I mentioned something about being detained at customs in Atlanta because there was a warrant out for my arrest. Here is the update!

On Thursday, I called Gaylord Police to find out why they had a warrant out on me. The nice lady informed me it was for a check I wrote in 2004 to Kentucky Fried Chicken!!! The warrant has been out since 2004!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had no clue! And apparently they only caught up with my name change (McNamara to Lutz) in July of 2007! I've been Lutz since 2005.

She said (the lady on the phone) that I needed to come in and post $100 bond and they would tell me what to do from there. So, Jeff and headed over there, posted the bond. Then the nice police officer, Mr. Claeys, lead me to the jail where they finger-printed me and took a mug shot! Oh yeah...not happy about that at all!!!! Then we went back to the main office and the lady gave me my documentation to take to the prosecuting attorney's office and said they would tell me what to do next. So, off we headed over there. I was hoping to talk to the prosecutor, but they weren't free, of course. But, I got a date for an arraignment! That's exciting! NOT! But, she said to call the next day and talk to the prosecutor and she would tell me what to do. So, I called yesterday, and the secretary told me to get proof from KFC that I paid it, or come in and pay the prosecutor's office. So, Jeff and I went to KFC. I talked to the manager (a different one than the guy I remember paying back in '04). She was nice, but she said she'd have to call the owner because the owner keeps all that stuff and she didn't know where. I asked her when all that would happen, and she said she was going to call the owner today, but the owner doesn't come in until Sunday (which is tomorrow at the time of this writing!). I was aggravated! I didn't want to have to wait till Sunday to find out anything, and then Monday to take it to the prosecutor!

Jeff and I went to Culver's for a bite to eat. As we were eating, my cell phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number, but thinking, hoping it was KFC I answered it. Sure enough it was the manager. She said she called the owner, the owner told her where to find the stuff, she did, had a copy showing it was paid 4-13-94! Hallelujah, Praise Jesus!!!

As soon as we were done eating, we went to KFC and picked up the document. It is a pink sheet of paper that says "Bad check notice" on it. In the upper left corner it indicates where each colored sheet is to go...the pink is supposed to go to the Police or Sheriff's office!!!! I told the manager working all the trouble I had gotten in because they didn't follow through properly with their documentation!!!!! She apologized and said she was not the manager at that time, and that manager was fired. Good!

We took the pink paper to the prosecutor's office, the secretary made a copy of it, and said she would send me a dismissal notice in the mail. (She took my correct name and address.)

What a mess!!! All because some stupid person didn't do their job!!!!!! I'll be sure to keep any and all documentation of everything from now on! Oh, and I will definitely never bounce another check!!!!!!