COURTLAND
A Branchville man has been charged with 16 counts of obtaining money by false pretenses in excess of $200, and seven counts of obtaining money by false pretenses under $200.

Southampton County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Todd Eastwood Newsome, 48, of Davis Lane, on Thursday, Dec. 1, after a grand jury issued 23 indictments against Newsome on Nov. 21.

Newsome has been under investigation since Dec. 31 last year when the Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from First Nank and Trust of Quinton alleging that Newsome had forged signatures on 14 checks and had passed them to receive funds that were alleged to be over $100,000.

Newsome was booked at the Southampton County Jail and was released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.