Two Las Vegas residents are in an Arizona jail after deputies say they cracked open a suitcase, found a small safe, and pulled out the makings of more than a million dollars in phony hundreds.
Yavapai County deputies in Arizona arrested 40-year-old Leeclark Fallah and 46-year-old Kenneh Pisco on Tuesday after an investigation that tied them to a multi-state "bill washing" operation. Inside the safe, authorities say, were partially printed $100 bills, specialized paper, inks, gloves and other tools that could have produced about $1.25 million in counterfeit cash.
According to KLAS 8 News Now, deputies stopped the vehicle after tracking its occupants on suspicion of passing altered bills across state lines. The station reports that a suitcase in the vehicle held the safe where investigators say they uncovered the partially printed notes and printing supplies.
What deputies say they found
Per the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff David Rhodes said the Special Crimes Unit "successfully intercepted a sophisticated operation that undermines the integrity of the American economy." Inside the safe, deputies reported finding specialized paper, inks, gloves and other equipment that investigators believe were part of a larger multi-state distribution effort.
Charges and next steps
Fallah and Pisco were arrested on felony counts that include forgery, criminal possession of a forgery device, money laundering, criminal simulation and fraud schemes, according to KLAS 8 News Now. Detectives in Yavapai County say the investigation is still active and that more charges or arrests in other states could follow as they pursue additional leads.
How "bill washing" works
"Bill washing" is a chemical trick in which counterfeiters bleach lower-denomination bills, scrub off the original ink, then reprint the notes as higher denominations. Because the paper itself started as genuine U.S. currency, the fake bills can pass casual inspections if people only glance at the front and back designs.
Local reporting on similar scams and federal guidance consistently warn businesses to double-check security features like embedded threads, watermarks and color-shifting ink rather than relying on a quick look or feel. For more on common tells and prevention tips, see coverage from WALB.
What businesses and residents should do
Law enforcement advises anyone who suspects they have received a counterfeit bill to hang on to the note, avoid passing it to someone else, and contact local police or federal authorities. Keeping any related surveillance footage or transaction records can also help investigators piece together where the bill came from.
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office is urging businesses to train staff to spot altered bills and to call investigators right away if they encounter suspected fakes.
Fallah and Pisco remain in Yavapai County custody as detectives work to map out the full reach of the alleged operation and determine whether other locations were targeted. Officials say more information will be released as evidence is processed and additional charges are filed.
