On Thursday, Hernandez was pulled over at about 10:30 p.m. near Milano and given a speeding ticket. While the officer was issuing the citation, he was notified Hernandez was wanted on a warrant out of Marshall County, Okla.
That warrant, issued April 22, was for a $1,500 check that was returned unpaid to Lewis Barthold Tire Sales in Madill, Okla.
Shirley Barthold, who owns the tire business with her husband, said that for at least the past four years the family’s tire business had been extending credit to a man in the Dallas area who mostly paid his account in cash.
The one time he wrote a check, it was bogus, Mrs. Barthold said.
“I’ve been wondering where he’s at,” she said about the man she did business with. “He wouldn’t pay his bill, so I contacted the DA. They still owe money for another bill that’s a lot more than that.”
Mrs. Barthold said she and her husband would personally deliver tires to Joe Hernandez in Dallas and commented on how nice his father was.
“His (Little Joe’s) father has been dead for 20 years,” said Ivan Hernandez, Little Joe’s son and manager for the three-time Grammy Award winner.
By Monday afternoon, Hernandez had contacted the Temple Police Department and reported that his name, date of birth and Social Security number had been used without his permission to open a checking account.
At least 64 checks were written against his name, Ivan Hernandez said.
The statement Hernandez issued ended with: “Joe D. Hernandez and La Familia Enterprises are strongly denying any involvement in regards to fraudulent activity at any time or any location.”
The check to the tire company was dated Oct. 13, 2007. Little Joe performed a concert in Pearland near Houston on Oct. 12 and 13.
Little Joe spent nearly 12 hours in Milam County Jail before posting bond at about 10:15 a.m. on Friday.
Promer@temple-telegram.com
