Lakehurst PD Charges Manchester Man with Forgery

A Manchester man was jailed after Lakehurst police accused him of trying to skirt a stop-payment order on a check he was issued.

Brian K. Funkhouser, 21, was being held on $20,000 bail, no 10 percent option, after he was arrested Aug. 16 and charged with forgery and theft by deception.

Lakehurst police said Funkhouser performed a home improvement that he did not finish, leading his customer, a Brick resident, to stop payment on a $1,500 check he had already issued to Funkhouser, police said.

However, the Manchester man altered the date on the check and cashed it at Checks-2-Cash on Route 70, which alerted police after the stop-payment order took effect, police said.

Funkhouser was arrested at his Lawrence Avenue home by Manchester police and turned over to Lakehurst authorities.

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A Toms River man was arrested after a traffic stop Aug. 17 in Lakehurst.

John J. Pomponio, 26, was initially stopped by Officer Matthew Kline after he was seen driving a rental car while talking on a cell phone, police said. 

Pomponio allegedly told Kline he did not have his driver's license on him and provided a false name and birth date after being asked to verify his identity, police said. Kline checked Motor Vehicle Commission records, where a photo of a different driver showed up when inputting the name provided by Pomponio, and learned the Toms River man had a $689 traffic warrant out of Island Heights Municipal Court for traffic offenses and driving while suspended, police said.

Pomponio was released on summonses after being charged with hindering apprehension, driving while suspended and use of a hand-held cell phone.