A competency hearing has been ordered for the Platteville man facing felony and misdemeanor charges in four counties.
Crawford County Circuit Judge James P. Czajkowski ordered the exam for Larry D. Kallembach, 56, 1536 County B, during Kallembach’s arraignment on a felony charge of theft by false representation — special facts.
Kallembach originally was charged with theft in a business setting of $5,000 to $10,000, a charge filed Dec. 5, according to court records.
Czajkowski entered a not guilty plea on Kallembach’s behalf Dec. 30, according to court records.
Kallembach is in the Crawford County Jail, according to court records. The competency hearing is scheduled for Feb. 3 at 2:30 p.m.
Kallembach was accused of using a check from the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta to purchase $6,490.89 in items during an auction conducted by a Prairie du Chien auction service Sept. 10.
Kallembach is charged in Walworth County with theft by false representation of more than $10,000 and forgery — uttering. Kallembach is also charged in Dane County with an additional forgery — uttering charge.
Bench warrants were issued for Kallembach after he failed to appear in court on the Walworth County and Dane County charges, according to court records.
The Crawford County criminal complaint includes an affidavit from an Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank vice president, that says that “the Federal Reserve Bank does not provide banking services to consumers, business corporations, or individuals,” and that Kallembach “does not hold an account at the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta and he has no authority to issue checks purportedly drawn on any accounts from the Federal Reserve Bank.”
The Walworth County criminal complaint alleges that Kallembach purchased seven tractors — 1949, 1956, 1959 and 1965 John Deeres, a 1944 Oliver, a 1951 International Farmall, and a 1957 Ford tractor — from Mecum Auctions in Walworth at an auction in Davenport, Iowa, in October, paying for the tractors with a $39,250 check. The tractors were delivered to Kallembach Nov. 1, according to the criminal complaint.
Kallembach told investigators he purchased the tractors “by using a Federal Reserve Bank check which he writes out of his social security signature bank,” and not from an actual bank, the criminal complaint said. Kallembach told investigators “he kept writing checks from his social security card/account because they never came back as having non-sufficient funds.”
In the Dane County charge, Kallembach is accused of purchasing a Macbook laptop computer from a Madison computer store July 18 with a $1,916.91 check from FSB ATL Bank in Atlanta. The store’s bank returned the check as coming from a nonexistent bank account, according to the criminal complaint.
The Federal Reserve has 12 regional banks, including in Atlanta. The Federal Reserve Bank in Dallas has what it calls a “branch” in San Antonio.
The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the U.S., and is one of three agencies that regulates federally chartered banks. The Federal Reserve lends money to other banks and provides services to financial institutions.
Kallembach is also charged in Grant County with resisting or obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor, and misdemeanor bail jumping. The resisting charge was filed when a Grant County sheriff’s deputy tried to serve a warrant on Kallembach, according to the sheriff’s department.
The maximum sentence for the forgery charges is six years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The maximum sentence for each felony theft charge is 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
