A Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office investigation near Ash Fork has uncovered what deputies say was a sophisticated multi-state counterfeiting operation.
On March 24t,h the Special Crimes Unit and K-9 deputies stopped two suspects and searched their vehicle, where they found a suitcase containing a safe. Inside were specialized currency paper, ink, gloves, and partially printed $100 bills.
Investigators say the suspects were running what’s known as a “bill washing” scheme — a process that strips ink from genuine currency and reprints it in higher denominations. The materials seized were enough to produce an estimated 1.25 million dollars in counterfeit bills.
Sheriff David Rhodes praised his team in a statement, saying the SCU, “Successfully intercepted a sophisticated operation that undermines the integrity of the American economy.”
The two men arrested are 46-year-old Las Vegas resident Leeclark Fallah and 46-year-old Kenneh Pisco. They are charged with forgery, money laundering, criminal simulation, and fraud schemes.
No hometown was listed for Pisco in the release.
The investigation remains ongoing.