Alleged Check Counterfeiting Ringleader Arrested in St. George

Alleged Check Counterfeiting Ringleader Arrested in St. George


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Sam Penrod Reporting St. George Police have busted up what they saw was an elaborate counterfeit check ring.

St. George police have been investigating this case for a couple of months, but now have made an arrest of a man that they say was the ringleader in this.

And police believe people have lost thousands of dollars in this crime.

"Sgt. Craig Harding, St. George Police Dept.: "Over the last couple of months thousands and thousands of dollars have passed through the community. Not just in St. George, but in the entire southern part of the state."

Police say Donald Sweet was the ringleader. Officers served a search warrant and recovered computers and high tech printers capable of printing magnetic ink, which made the checks appear legitimate.

Investigators are worried there are still fake checks out there, people believe are real.

Sgt. Harding: "There's a lot of checks out there that haven't cleared yet, and we're expecting there's more victims. We'd like them to look and see if they've cashed a check from this person because, if so, they need to come in and talk to us about it because they're most likely a victim."

In most cases, police say Sweet and others involved would print the checks and then either cash them or would buy items. After they got the cash or goods, is when it was discovered the checks were no good.

Sweet was booked into jail on 20 counts of felony forgery, as well as communication fraud and drug possession.

Police are asking anyone who believes they may have a counterfeit check from this fraud ring, to contact detectives with St. George Police.

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