Martin County Sheriff's Office arrests 4 people accused of using counterfeit money locally
MARTIN COUTNY — Sheriff's Office detectives took three people into custody June 4 after a counterfeit money spending spree, according to sheriff's officials and arrest affidavits released June 6.
A fourth person, who was pregnant, went into labor when approached by detectives in a parking lot and was transported to a hospital to give birth.
"This was a sophisticated operation," Sheriff John Budensiek said at a news conference the afternoon of June 6. "They took what were real $10 bills, washed them, bleached them, and someone reprinted the $100 bill logo on them."
He said the counterfeit bills were used at Aldi, Lowe's, Home Depot, Petco, Publix, Rack Room Shoes, Office Depot, Harbor Freight, and Walgreens, but they believe more businesses were affected. The group also attempted to use the counterfeit money at Walmart and Ollie's Bargain Outlet, according to sheriff's spokesperson Christine Christofek.
Wessly Aurelio Cuyuch, 31, of Stuart, no address give; Ali E Martinez-Conde, 34, of North Lauderdale; and Oneil Aubrin, 34, of Hollywood, each were charged with possessing 10 or more forged bills, organized retail theft, and uttering a forged instruments. The uttering charge refers to using a fraudulent document or some form of forged payment to defraud someone. All three were taken into custody on June 4 and are in the Martin County Jail.
A fourth person, Veronica Tytianna Guerra, of Miami, who was pregnant, was transported to the hospital to give birth June 4. She has not been taken into custody yet because the Sheriff's Office did not want to separate her from her newborn baby, according to Capt. Gavin Werner, but he said she will be arrested.
Here's what happened
On June 4, Aubrin walked into a Publix in the 3500 block of Southeast Federal Highway in Stuart and tried to use one of the counterfeit $100 bills, Budensiek said.
He said the employee at the register went to their manager for them to look over the bill, and at that point, Aubrin left the Publix. That was a red flag, he said, and the Publix employee called 911. Publix provided the Sheriff's Office with the counterfeit bill and showed them the security footage.
"We are always deeply offended when these traveling criminals come to Martin County," Budensiek said. "We are happy to catch them, but we also know there are other people out there that will be affected by this."
Road patrol deputies began doing patrols in the area looking for Aubrin, who was driving a 2024 Grey Hyundai rental, he said. Detectives found the Hyundai in the parking lot of an Ollie's Bargain Outlet in the 3000 block of Southeast Federal Highway, according to the arrest affidavits.
Multiple detectives from the criminal investigations unit responded to the area and Aubrin was seen walking out of Ollie's Bargain Outlet. The Hyundai then drove north on U.S. 1 and went to a shopping center in the 2300 block of South Federal Highway, where detectives watched the group of four get out of the car and go to different stores, according to the reports.
When Martinez-Conde and Cuyuch returned to the car, detectives took them into custody. Detectives found Aubrin and Guerra while they were walking out of stores in the plaza and detained them. At that point, Guerra went into labor, and was transported to a hospital.
Deputies found $4,000 of counterfeit bills in a Bible and in an envelope while searching the vehicle. They then went to different businesses where the counterfeit bills were used to recover the bills and request security footage.
The Sheriff's Office is still looking for remaining counterfeit bills that were given to businesses and may have been given out as change. Budensiek said if someone comes across one of the counterfeit bills to reach out to the Sheriff's Office because deputies are aware of the situation and will not immediately suspect the person of using the counterfeit money.
This story was updated with more information and videos.
Olivia Franklin is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Olivia on X @Livvvvv_5 or reach her by phone at 317-627-8048. E-mail her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Martin County Sheriff's Office arrests 4 people accused of using counterfeit money locally
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