A simple bogus check investigation in Cleveland reveals a criminal who has been accused of ripping off people all across the state of Oklahoma for 20 years.

In just the last two months, Gregory Freeman has been charged in seven different counties.

Records show Gregory Freeman has charges and convictions in 18 Oklahoma counties for the same types of crimes, all since 2005.

Records show he’s been given probation several times, with drug court and programs, and yet police say he just won't stop.

Cleveland Police called News On 6 this week asking for help to identify a guy in surveillance video in what investigators thought was a simple bogus check investigation. They say the man used the name Blake Stedman, made a fake paycheck from Sonic in town, then cashed it at another local business. Within hours of investigating, they figured out Cleveland was just a quick stop on his way.

"He's taking and making checks for different businesses and using them as payroll checks. The check is made out to him, and so he takes the fake ID and matches the name that he's put on the check,” said Cleveland Police Chief Clint Stout.

Investigators didn't know the suspect was Gregory Freeman at first but quickly learned agencies in a dozen other Oklahoma cities were looking for the same guy for the same type of crime. They say once they got Freeman's name and looked up his history, they were stunned.

Records show Freeman has charges or convictions in 18 different Oklahoma counties, from Beaver County in the panhandle all the way to Leflore County in southeastern Oklahoma. He has charges for fraud, using fake IDs, bogus checks, grand larceny, burglary, and more. Freeman has already been charged in five different counties in 2024.

"He's all over. There's no kind of rhyme or reason. He's not staying at the southeast part of the state; he's everywhere,” said Stout.

Records show Freeman has spent little time in prison and instead has been given probation on many of his cases and ordered into programs or drug court. Records show he has violated the rules of the programs or drug court several times.

"Causing different agencies across the state to put in man-hours trying to track him down. It is, it's costing the taxpayers and individuals money,” said Stout.

Freeman is now sitting in jail in Logan County, where he was just sentenced to six years in prison the other day. News On 6 emailed Freeman's attorney on that case, and we are waiting to hear back.

Freeman is now facing charges for fraud and forgery in Pawnee County.