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Jessamine County authorities, along with those in several neighboring counties, are searching for a man who allegedly wrote a number of bad checks.

According to the Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office, they are searching for William Steele who allegedly has traveled throughout Central Kentucky in recent weeks buying zero-turn lawn mowers with bad checks. Steele then sold the mowers for cash.

JCSO Lt. Anthony Purcell said Steele wrote one check in Jessamine County to buy a mower about a week ago.

“Of course, the check bounced higher than a kite,” he said. “He’s written bad checks all over.”

Purcell said Steele is suspected to have written similar checks in Jessamine County, Bardstown, Lexington, Beattyville and Winchester. In each location, the theft was the same: buy a mower with a check and them sell it later for cash, he said.

Throughout the region, the thefts are estimated at $30,000.

The investigation is still open, and the Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in finding Steele.

“Friday night, we got a lead on him,” Purcell said. “It was not in relation to our case, but for another jurisdiction.”

Anyone with information on Steele’s whereabouts is asked to call the Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office at 887-5447.