Cedar Rapids man accused of stealing, cashing Red Cross check

WATERLOO - A Cedar Rapids man who was a volunteer for the American Red Cross is accused of stealing and cashing an check from the organization.

According to a criminal complaint from the Waterloo Police Department, on Oct. 21, the police department received a forgery complaint from an investigator with the American Red Cross. The investigator told police that 35-year-old Adrain P. Swensen had been volunteering with the Red Cross in Cedar Rapids and stuffing envelopes for the organization.

Police said at some point during his time with the Red Cross, Swensen took a check for $1,250 made out to a woman in Connecticut. Swensen cashed that check at a Wells Fargo branch in Waterloo on Aug. 14, police said. The check was endorsed under Swensen's Renewing Hope LLC business account, according to police.

According to the Iowa Secretary of State website, Renewing Hope is registered to Adrian Noe. The address listed for the LLC is an American Inn in Council Bluffs. On Monday, the Waterloo Courier reported that Adrian Noe is an alias used by Swensen.

According to the criminal complaint, Swensen was interviewed at the Black Hawk County Jail on Nov. 8 after he was arrested on unrelated charges. During that interview, police said Swensen admitted to stealing, forging and cashing the check. He allegedly told police he had money problems.

Swensen was charged with forgery, a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

A message left with the Red Cross was not immediately returned on Friday.

The Waterloo Courier has reported that Swensen has been previously charged with credit card fraud in Texas and identity theft and false use of a credit card in Iowa. Swensen received probation for the Iowa offenses and a four-year suspended prison sentence for the Texas offenses, according to the Courier.