Prostitute Suspects Get Banking Lessons

ONEIDA, N.Y. — Lesson No. 1 for prostitutes: Don’t take checks. Lesson No. 2: If you ignore Lesson No. 1 and the check bounces, don’t call the police.

Three girls--two 17-year-olds and a 16-year-old--face prostitution charges after reporting that a man who had sex with them gave them a bad check for $1,500, state police investigator Heidi Abrial said.

Mark A. Humphrey, 39, a construction worker from Newark, Ohio, was arrested at his hotel and charged with three counts of patronizing a prostitute. The offense carries up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail.

The check was drawn on a closed account, Abrial said.