Business Owner Charged With Forging Check, Obtaining Property By False Pretense
SMITHFIELD — The owner of a Johnston County tree trimming business was arrested Nov. 12 after a Smithfield Police investigation into an alleged forged check involving one of his customers.
Dennis Keith Allen Jr., 47, of Oliver’s Grove Church Road in Four Oaks, is charged with forgery of an endorsement, uttering a forged instrument, and obtaining property by false pretense. Allen is listed as the owner of It’s Gotta Go Tree Service on an arrest report.
According to investigators, Allen recently completed work for a Smithfield resident. When paying for the job, the customer accidentally handed Allen two checks instead of one—a completed check for the agreed amount and a blank check that had stuck to the back.
On Sept. 10, 2025, Allen allegedly forged the victim’s signature on the blank check, wrote it for $950, and cashed it at Ronnie’s Country Store in Four Oaks. The victim later discovered the unauthorized transaction and reported it to police.
Allen was arrested Nov. 12 on the three felony charges and released on a $15,000 bond.
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4 Comments
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Oops!!! 🤣
Maybe he should have trimmed back the amount.
This is a serious situation that underscores the immense pressure some small business owners can face, though it never justifies alleged criminal activity. The charges of forging a check and obtaining property by false pretenses point to a significant alleged breach of trust, which can be devastating for a local business’s reputation and for the community that relies on it. The judicial process will now have to determine the facts.
Big dummy