(Press Release) Two companies out nearly $4,000 each aren’t yet ready to celebrate the capture of man connected to a counterfeit ring because, according to Sheriff John Anderson, the investigation is far from over.
26-year-old Mauricio Barajas-Magana was arrested inside Madera County Superior Court, while he was there to answer to charges stemming from an unrelated case, narcotic violations.
But the Mexican national never got the chance to plead that case because he was taken into custody in the Courthouse lobby by Ag Crimes Detective Adam McEwen – who accuses the Madera resident of cashing thousands of dollars worth of counterfeit checks.
Barajas-Magana is suspected of being a part of a counterfeit ring that successfully created fictitious checks from an agricultural business payroll check in Fresno.
Numerous checks totaling nearly $4,000 were all cashed at a mini-mart in Madera.
Not only is the Fresno based company feeling the financial impact, so too is the min-mart that cashed all those checks.
The investigation into the counterfeiting scheme began January 17th when the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office asked the Madera County Sheriff’s Department Ag Crimes Unit to look into the fraud after it was discovered that a number of forged checks were cashed in Madera.
Detective McEwen was able to tie Barajas-Magana (listed as a dairy worker on his booking sheet) to the thefts; and tracked him down inside the Madera Courthouse.
Despite the arrest, the investigation remains open because authorities do not believe he acted alone.
Anyone with information about this counterfeiting scheme is asked to call the Madera County Sheriff’s Department or CrimeStoppers at 498-STOP. An anonymous tip to CrimeStoppers that leads to an arrest could be worth up to $1,000.
TXT 24
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