Thomas Berchtold was three months shy of finishing a three-year probation when he was arrested in Solvang on Sept. 30 on suspicion of trying to pass counterfeit bills.
According to Kelly Hoover, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Tanya Lee Rose of Bakersfield, Melissa Jones of Bakersfield, Doreen Rowland of Bakersfield, and Thomas Berchtold of San Luis Obispo were arrested after allegedly trying to pay with counterfeit $100 bills at several businesses in Lompoc.
“The businesses they hit were close together,” Hoover said.
The crew was also allegedly in possession of methamphetamine in addition to multiple counterfeit $100 bills and other materials that could have been used to counterfeit more money when they were arrested.
According to Hoover, the bills had been washed—a level of sophistication that warrants involving the U.S. Secret Service, which will be conducting its own investigation into the incident.
Solvang isn’t the only area on the Central Coast with businesses that received counterfeit money.
“There are at least three businesses in Santa Maria that we know were victimized, but there may be more,” Hoover said.
This article appears in Oct 9-16, 2014.