January 1st, 2022, Westport Police initiated an investigation after a local resident reported a check that she mailed had been intercepted, altered, and deposited into a TD Bank account.

The investigating detective prepared a search warrant for the account to which the check was deposited. The search warrant was served on TD Bank and the account holder was identified as Debyi Capellan-Paulino. Along, with the account records, the investigating detective also secured ATM surveillance footage of the transaction where CAPELLAN-PAULINO is alleged to have deposited the check. An extraditable arrest warrant was signed charging CAPELAN- PAULINO with the above-referenced crimes.

On November 26th, 2022, Franklin Township, NJ Police contacted Westport Police and advised that they had our suspect detained on a motor vehicle stop. On December 8th, 2022, Westport Police Detectives responded to Somerset County(NJ) Correctional Center, took custody of CAPELLAN-PAULINO, and transported him back to

Westport PD where he was processed and held on a court-set bond of $100,000.00. Unable to post bond, CAPELLAN-PAULINO was transported to Stamford Superior Court on December 9th, 2022 for arraignment.

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