Four arrested in forged check scheme
By Josh Sullivan
4 hours ago

Frankfort police have arrested four Hispanic males on suspicion they were involved in a conspiracy to use forged checks and identification documents to steal money.

Police said Salvador Hernandez, 19, Silvestre Paz, 28, and Urbino Hernandez, 24, were charged Thursday with multiple counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument after authorities served a search warrant on an east Frankfort apartment where the group was living.

In their search, police discovered several forged residential alien cards that were in the suspects' possession and in their residence.

Jose Francisco Escano-Reyes, 19, was held on an immigration detainer, as were the three other suspects, but other charges have not been filed against him.

Federal officials said they have reason to suspect the four men are living in the U.S. illegally. The detainer will allow authorities to hold the men in custody until their immigration status can be determined.

Frankfort Police Major Fred Deaton said the Secret Service first alerted local authorities to the group's activities.

Authorities say they believe the men were using aliases established on the phony residential alien cards to cash forged checks at multiple locations throughout the state.

"They had spread them throughout central Kentucky and possibly in other states," said Deaton. "They were printed payroll checks and they were good forgeries."
Deaton said Shelbyville police discovered 12 or 13 fake payroll checks from Bethel Industries, a Shelbyville company.

Police believe the men cashed fake checks at multiple banks and "check and go" locations, "Pretty much any place that would cash a check," said Deaton.

The investigation that led to the arrests was conducted jointly by the Frankfort, Lexington and Shelbyville Police Departments along with the U. S. Secret Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The four are currently being held at the Franklin County Regional jail, pending resolution of their alien status. Authorities are still investigating the extent of the crimes and whether or not more suspects were involved in the check-cashing ring. Police say then don't know how much money is involved.

http://www.state-journal.com/news/article/3507022