Bounced checks

A friend of mine ordered some stuff from a mail order catalog. Never got it. So a few months later, he decided that the check must have gotten lost in the mail, since it never cleared his checking account. So he spent the money that would have covered it. 2 months after the company received the check, they cashed it. So maybe he should have left money to cover it, or put a stop payment, but he didnt think of that. Anyways, now he is getting notices from the company stating that the local DA will be prosecuting him if he doesnt pay the $22 check and a $20 fee. Since he never got his stuff, I dont think he should pay, so he called the company, hey hung up on him. He called back, and left a message, which was never returned. Can he be prosecuted for this?

He should write a letter to the mail order company explaining the situation, with particular emphasis on the fact that the ordered goods never arrived and the great delay in time between his sending the check and their cashing the check. He should include a money order for $20 to pay the fee for the company's processing fee of the check written on insufficient funds. If he still wants the original item he should also include a money order for $22. Tell him to keep a copy of the letter and the money orders and to be more prudent in the future.