Suspects in Arizona check washing scheme arrested

PHOENIX — Two California men have been arrested in connection with an alleged check washing scheme in northern Arizona, authorities announced.

Francisco Hernandez, 28, and Raul Rodriguez, 38, have been charged with fraud schemes and “numerous” counts of theft and forgery, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO).

The crime spree took place over the past several weeks and affected at least 15 victims in Camp Verde, Cornville, Cottonwood, Flagstaff, Prescott Valley, Rimrock and Sedona, YCSO said.

Details of alleged check washing scheme

Deputies began investigating the check washing scheme after multiple people reported that mail they had sent, specifically checks intended to pay bills, had been stolen.

The sheriff’s office said it worked with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and concluded that the suspects had “fished” the checks out of U.S. Postal Service mailboxes using a sticky rod.

The suspects then allegedly washed ink off the checks with chemicals, allowing them to alter the amounts and the names of the payees, YCSO said.

Hernandez and Rodriguez were arrested after an employee at a bank in Cottonwood noticed that a check had been altered, stalled the suspects and alerted the Cottonwood Police Department, according to YCSO.

After being arrested, the suspects allegedly told police they had targeted the area because they believed it was quiet and that police would not catch onto them.

YCSO said that the pair is suspected of committing similar crimes in California.

The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who has recently mailed a check that has not cleared or reached its intended recipient to check their bank statements for fraudulent activity. Anyone who thinks they may be a victim of the check washing scheme is asked to call their local law enforcement agency.

The investigation into this case is ongoing.

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