A Snoqualmie couple face criminal charges for scheming to pass bad checks at a local supermarket.

Heidi L. Morris, 38, and Erin L. Atkins, 40, were charged in February by King County prosecutors with organized retail theft in the first degree.

Charges stemmed from Morris’s role in accepting blocked checks from Atkins, her boyfriend, while working as a relief checker at the North Bend Safeway.

According to court documents, the supermarket’s manager noticed in August that Morris was accepting blocked checks from the same customer. The transactions would be declined automatically, but Morris would use her override code to allow the purchase.

The store’s loss prevention officer investigated, and discovered that Morris had accepted more than $5,700 in checks from her boyfriend. All of the checks were eventually returned for insufficent funds. Atkins would visit her while she was working as a relief checker, usually late at night or early in the morning, to pass the checks, sometimes twice in the same day, purchasing groceries and gift cards.

Investigators with the King County Sheriff’s Office believe the two acted in concert to pass the checks.

When confronted, Morris allegedly told police she did not believe she had done anything wrong.

Morris was booked and released at King County Jail in September.

When deputies attempted to contact Atkins, he fled on foot.

The pair were slated to appear in court for an arraignment on Thursday, Feb. 25, but failed to show up.

A judge has issued a bench warrant for their arrest.

Morris has no criminal history, but Atkins has a number of convictions, inclding assault, telephone harassment and burglary.