Brian Smith
The president and chief executive officer of a Richmond-based Web design company is facing a felony charge of theft by deception for allegedly defrauding Madison Bank of more than $15,000.
Jeffery Allen Jernigan, 40, is lodged in the Madison County Detention Center following his extradition from South Carolina on the charge, and appeared Wednesday in Madison District Court for a preliminary hearing.
He is accused of writing three checks on a South Carolina business account belonging to his company, Bulldog Media LLC, and depositing the checks at Madison Bank, where he immediately withdrew most of the deposits, said Detective Chris Short of the Kentucky State Police.
Short, who investigated the case, said the first check for $5,500 was deposited April 30, and Jernigan convinced a teller to allow him to immediately withdraw $5,000 of the money he had just deposited.
Jernigan allegedly made the same deposit and withdrawal the next day, and did the same thing with a $5,800 check on May 6, withdrawing $5,300, Short said.
Short testified he had spoken with a South Carolina investigator who had determined the account had been opened at a bank there with $1,000, but $750 had been immediately withdrawn after it was opened.
The same teller at Madison Bank handled all three transactions, Short testified, and was able to identify Jernigan after he was returned to Kentucky.
None of the funds have been repaid to the bank as of Tuesday, Short said.
Jernigan’s company was under investigation in January by the Richmond Police Department in connection with a $400 deposit paid to the company for Web design work by the owner of Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio on Merchant Drive.
After paying the deposit Jan. 9, attempts to reach anyone at Bulldog Media went unreturned, police said, and no Web design work was ever done.
According to police spokesman Sgt. Willard Reardon, the victim in the case was referred to the Madison County Attorney’s office to file a criminal complaint alleging theft by deception. Reardon said the case report also includes a mention of similar cases being investigated by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.
Madison County Attorney Marc Robbins said his office was unable to locate any records of a complaint being filed in any other cases.
State business records show that Bulldog Media, which was an assumed name for the firm I.H.S. Web Design LLC, was incorporated Sept. 24, 2008, and administratively dissolved Nov. 3, 2009, after failing to file an annual report.
The business’ principal office was listed as 223 Tazwell Drive, and Jernigan was listed as the business’ organizer and registered agent. The company’s Web site, which still is active, lists a Lexington Road office suite as “corporate headquarters” for the business.
A pair of phone numbers, including a toll-free number, listed for the business were not in service Wednesday. The Lexington Road office was locked and appeared empty except for a group of potted plants.
Richmond Chamber of Commerce executive director Mendi Goble said Bulldog Media was a member of the chamber for “only a few months” before the chamber terminated the company’s membership.
“They were a member until we decided it was best that they not be any longer,” Goble said. The chamber had received some complaints about the company while it was a chamber member, she said.
Jernigan is lodged in the Madison County Detention Center in lieu of a $20,000 cash bond.
Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.
