A Connecticut man traded the usual lump of coal for a night in a jail cell this Christmas because he was arrested and jailed, accused of forgery and identity theft at a Bristol Township bank
On Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2025, at approximately 2:05 p.m., Bristol Township Police responded to the Fulton Bank at 599 S Oxford Valley Road in Fairless Hills after receiving a report of a fraudulent act in progress. A bank teller called 911 to report that an individual was using a fake ID to withdraw $3,000 from a victim’s bank account. The teller informed Bucks County Radio Dispatch that they had contacted the victim by phone, and the victim confirmed he did not consent to the use of his information, police said in the probable cause.
Upon arriving near the scene, officers saw the individual walking through the YMCA parking lot adjacent to the bank. They detained the individual, who identified himself as the victim but was later identified as suspect Jose Hernandez, 45, of East Haven, Connecticut, said police.
Bank associates told police that Hernandez provided a counterfeit Delaware driver’s license and signed the victim’s signature on a withdrawal slip. He attempted to use the driver’s license information to allegedly withdraw $3,000 from the victim’s account. The teller, believing the transaction to be fraudulent, contacted the victim by phone. After the victim verified that the transaction was unauthorized, the associate called the police. A responding officer obtained the counterfeit Delaware driver’s license and the Fulton Bank withdrawal slip. The license included the victim’s name, date of birth, and address, with Hernandez’s photo replacing the original, according to the affidavit.
Hernandez was taken into custody and arraigned by on-call Judge Daniel Baranoski on said charges. Unable to post 10% of $50,000 bail, he was remanded to Bucks County Correctional Facility (BCCF). Hernandez’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 6 2026 with Judge Terrence Hughes presiding. Currently. Hernandez has no attorney of record, according to on-line court records.
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