Background check nabs con artist

Background checks proved their worth in Illinois last week, with a simple check resulting in the capture of an alleged confidence man who had been living under a false name. Kopyskinski tells us that “a woman purchased a hot dog at the Holiday Star Theatre…with a credit card”. Upon learning there were no hot dogs left she asked for a refund, “and the encounter she subsequently had led her to call the police”. The police could find no information on the apparent owner of the theatre, Kenny Yochelson, so investigated further. These checks led to the conclusion that Kenny Yochelson was, in fact, Kenneth W. Arron. Another background check revealed that Arron has an extensive criminal history, including felony convictions in Illinois, Arizona and Ohio. After an investigation, Arron was charged with one count of State benefits fraud and one count of forgery related to the alleged fraudulent business license application. He was also charged with conducting an unlicensed raffle, driving while license was suspended, and operation of an uninsured motor vehicle. It is good to be able to provide an example of how background checks do work, and hopefully such a success story will lead to further background investigations by employers, organizations and public safety officials.]]>