According to a probable cause statement, officers were called to Progressive Ozark Bank on August 14 after a woman—later identified as Nikki Nicole Allen of Dallas, Texas, who initially used the name Marsha Burns—attempted to cash a $4,950 check from a Salem customer’s account. Bank staff told police the same woman had already cashed another check for $4,988 earlier that morning. “There were just a lot of red flags,” the branch manager said, noting the account’s phone number had been changed two days prior.
Sherman reviewed nearby security footage and spotted a red Hyundai Kona linked to the suspect. Later that afternoon, Hartville Police reported a male in custody connected to a similar scheme, prompting Mansfield officers to search for the vehicle. Sherman located the Kona on Highway 5 and conducted a traffic stop. The driver, identified as Daminica Rhodes, of Dallas, Texas resisted repeated commands before being removed from the vehicle and detained. Allen complied when ordered out of the passenger seat.
A search of the vehicle uncovered cash in multiple purses, a fake Pennsylvania ID allegedly used in the bank transaction, and four additional forged checks. Both women were transported to the Wright County Sheriff’s Office. During an interview, Allen admitted her real name and stated Rhodes drove her to the bank.
Rhodes was found to have a non‑extraditable warrant out of Oklahoma. The vehicle was towed, and the money was processed as evidence. Charges include fraud and forgery under Missouri law.
