Check Counterfeiter Done In By PoorSpelling

OIL CITY, Pa. - (12/12/05) -- A local man who was printing phonychecks on Pennsylvania State Employees CU was done in by spelling.A fraud investigator at the state's largest credit union noticedthat Harrisburg was spelled wrong on some of the checks. It wasspelled 'Harrisburgh.'Using counterfeit checks produced on hiscomputer, Michael Luktisch, 41, and his accomplices traveled acrossPennsylvania and Ohio, making illegal purchases in at least sevencounties, purchasing thousands of dollars in consumer items--from atoilet to a crossbow, police said. Luktisch produced counterfeitchecks on his computer, then gave them to other people who wouldpurchase items at retailers. Luktisch was also done in by the videocameras. Although most of the purchases were made by people otherthan Luktisch, he could be seen in videotapes leaving the storeswith the people who paid with these checks and was eventuallyrecognized as a former Wal-Mart employee. Luktisch pleaded guiltylast week to 66 counts of forgery, unlawful use of a computer, afirearms violation and four counts of theft by unlawful taking inthe six cases against him, and was sentenced to 18 years in stateprison.