Sacramento men, teen arrested, accused of using ‘large’ amount of counterfeit money at businesses
The Secret Service and police are continuing their investigations after two Sacramento men and a teenager were accused of using counterfeit bills over the weekend at several businesses in Rocklin and Lincoln, police said.
Officers were called Saturday to a business in the 5100 block of Commons Drive in Rocklin after a caller reported customers were attempting to use the fake currency, said Capt. Chad Morris, a spokesman for the Rocklin Police Department.
Morris did not say which specific Rocklin businesses were targeted. He said “similar” incidents out of Lincoln led officers to believe the three individuals may have used fraudulent funds in that city. The “large amount” of counterfeit currency prompted Rocklin police officers to alert the U.S. Secret Service, too.
Secret Service officials said they would not confirm the existence or absence of potentially ongoing investigations.
“Counterfeiting of U.S. currency continues to be an issue both domestically and globally,” the agency said. “In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. Secret Service arrested 197 individuals suspected of counterfeiting and seized $21.8 million in counterfeit currency.
“We recommend individuals, retailers, and financial institutions to remain vigilant and examine bills. U.S. currency has several built-in security features to help protect against counterfeiting.”
Responding police officers didn’t find the suspects at the scene, but an off-duty officer saw “suspicious” people “manipulating large amounts of cash,” police said.
The three suspects were arrested after a foot pursuit and face charges related to fraud and evading arrest, police said. An 18-year-old and 20-year-old face charges of second-degree burglary, having blank checks with the intent to defraud and conspiracy, according to arrest logs.
The 20-year-old, who was arrested in front of Rocklin City Hall, faces an additional charge of obstructing an officer.
The men hadn’t been charged or were not in custody as of Tuesday, online records show.
It’s unclear if the 17-year-old suspect will be charged.
This story was originally published April 2, 2024 at 10:47 AM.