Third suspect in bank fraud case pleads innocent

FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- A third suspect accused of defrauding $147,000 from two banks, including on in Minneapolis, pleaded innocent here Friday.

Lance McKinnie, 30, faces five felony charges in all, including aiding and abetting bank fraud, three counts of interstate transportation of a check or funds by fraud and one count of using a false Social Security number.

McKinnie, Lloyd Wheat III and Tremaine Brown all were indicted by a federal grand jury late last year.

The FBI claims Wheat, of Minneapolis, convinced Brown, his former girlfriend, to steal a blank cashier's check from Twin City Federal Bank in Minneapolis where she worked in May.

That check later was filled out for $147,000 and deposited in an account at Fargo's Gate City Federal Savings.