A Police News Exclusive
October 20, 2009

MANSFIELD, LA. - Investigators with the DeSoto Parish, Louisiana Sheriff's Office are looking for a Texas ex-convict whose last known address was in Tiki Island in Galveston County.

Sheriff's Sgt. John Cobb says his office has a warrant charging Wesley Ross Collier, 28, with Felony By Fraud in a scheme he pulled in Logansport, Louisana leaving his victim holding a worthless check for $7,000.

According to Cobb, Collier contacted the people in Logansport about a ATV they had advertised on the internet.  They made a deal on the telephone then Collier went there on a Sunday and wrote them a check for the ATV and hauled it away.  The victims discovered the next day the check was worthless.

A few days later, according to Sgt. Cobb, Collier took the ATV to New Boston, Texas where he traded it for a motorcycle that had been advertised on the internet.  The people taking the ATV in trade immediately posted it for sale again on the internet and the people who had been defrauded out of it in Logansport saw it.  They called Sgt. Cobb who recovered the ATV and returned it to them.  It is assumed Collier still has the motorcycle.

Collier has an extensive history of similar criminal activity in various Texas counties, including fraud by check and forgery and burglary.  He may be in the Longview or Center, Texas areas and at one time lived in Timpson, Texas.

According to an official in Tiki Island who knows Collier, he at one time served as a Tiki Island fireman and has family that lives there.

The DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office says they will extradict Collier back there for prosection once he is arrested.

Sgt. Cobb asks that anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Collier, contact their local law enforcement agency.  Collier is listed in the National Crime Information Center database where the felony warrant may be confirmed.