Photo: CBS 12
The Martin County Sheriff's Office has more details on a counterfeit scheme that targeted multiple businesses in the area.
Officials fear counterfeit bills may still be circulating after they arrested four people for what a Sheriff's spokesperson called "one of the craziest counterfeit money spending sprees" they've ever seen.
They say the suspects traveled to the Treasure Coast from Broward and Miami-Dade counties, went from store-to-store distributing a significant amount of fake bills.
Some of the businesses hit include two separate Publix stores in the county, Walgreens, Lowe's, Home Depot, Office Depot and an attempt at the Stuart Walmart.
The Suspects:
Ali Martinez-Conde
Wessly Cuyuch
Oneail Aubrin
Veronica Guerrero
The Scheme & How They Were Caught
Sheriff John Budensiek says the suspects took real $10 bills and washed them, bleached them and then covered them with the logo from $100 bills. That was until a Publix cashier noticed the hologram behind Benjamin Franklin's face was actually Alexander Hamilton, who is on the $10 bill.
Once the suspects were in custody, detectives searched their vehicle and found $4,000 in counterfeit cash hidden inside a Bible located in the glove box. $1,400 has been recovered from several businesses in Stuart.
The Sheriff's Office asks the public and businesses to check any $100 bill they may have and if you notice anything out of the ordinary to give them a call.