Fuerst remains at large

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 29, 2003

A fugitive who for years has been wanted by law enforcement agencies for activities such as stealing checks and printing counterfeit commercial checks in Alabama and Mississippi, including Covington County, is still on the loose according to a new bulletin issued by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Carl Edward Fuerst has been a fugitive for six years and is known for traveling nationwide.

He was last seen in Biloxi, Miss. on April 10, and was also thought to be in Gadsden and other north Alabama cities in late March.

According to the news release and Wade Garrett of the Andalusia Police Department, Fuerst makes split deposits of the counterfeit checks at a branch of the true account holder's bank, usually depositing an even amount and getting back an odd amount.

As of April, Fuerst has typically been depositing checks in the $1,700 range, and depositing an even amount of $1,000 or $1,100 and getting the rest, an odd amount, back in cash.

Fuerst, 25, from Torrance, Calif., has been known to have many aliases and should be considered armed, according to the release.

He is believed to be driving a 2001 Chevrolet S-10 Crew Cab pickup truck.

Fuerst is a white male, listed at about 5-feet-9 and weighing approximately 190 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes and is usually casually dressed.

The release states that if Fuerst is spotted in any nearby bank, police should be immediately notified.