From TheHammontonNews.com — Hammonton and Mullica Township police are investigating a counterfeit scheme in which participants have tried to cash more than $150,000 worth of fake checks at area banks over the past several weeks.

The checks have been drawn on six area farms — two in Hammonton, two in Mullica Township and two in Winslow Township, according to Hammonton Police Detective Joel Frederico.

Investigators did arrest one person — German Gonzalez, 28, whose address is unknown — when he tried to cash some of the checks at the TD Bank branch in Hammonton, Frederico said.

Gonzalez was charged with forgery, theft by deception, hindering apprehension, obstruction and possession of counterfeit checks, police said. He was sent to Atlantic County Jail in default of $100,000 bail.

Authorities also placed an immigration detainer against Gonzalez, a Mexico native.

A subsequent investigation led authorities to a motel room in Carneys Point, where they found more than a dozen uncashed counterfeit checks, Frederico said.

Thirteen checks totaling $10,000 were cashed at a check-cashing agency in Bridgeton, Frederico said.

People tried to cash counterfeit checks at a bank in Absecon, but they ran out of the bank when the teller became suspicious, police said.

Original version of this article can be found at:
http://www.thedailyjournal.com/article/20090805/HAMMONTON01/908050310