Ashton Artis, 19, of New York City, has been arrested for stealing and altering a check worth more than $53,000, Norwalk police said. 

NORWALK — A New York City man has been arrested for stealing and altering a check worth more than $53,000 before depositing it into his own bank account, police said. 

Ashton Artis, 19, was charged with first-degree larceny and third-degree forgery, according to a news release shared Monday by Norwalk police Lt. Ramon Tejada. 

Tejada said the investigation that led to the arrest began on Jan. 28 when the victim reported that a check they mailed had been stolen and that the payee information had been altered. 

Detectives determined that a $53,401 check intended for the Internal Revenue Service had been intercepted, fraudulently altered and deposited into a bank account, Tejada said.

“Detectives executed search warrants and worked with multiple financial institutions to obtain records and identify the individual responsible,” Tejada said.

Tejada said investigators ultimately learned the account belonged to Artis. He said the New York City Police Department apprehended Artis on July 20 and transported him to Rikers Island.

Tejada said Norwalk police took custody of Artis on Monday. He said Artis, a Queens resident, is now being held on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 17.