Three people are facing federal charges after being taken into custody locally with counterfeit money.
On August 31, Cottonwood Police Department officers detained Carlos Cazelly and Morgan Gargiulo after conducting a traffic stop near the intersection of State Route 260 and East Fir Street in Cottonwood.
Valerija Bednarchick, from California, was arrested by Sedona police on September 3 in connection with the Cottonwood crime.
Gargiulo and Cazelly were initially identified as individuals of interest in an ongoing investigation into a number of forgery cases recorded at companies throughout the Verde Valley, in which the duo reportedly attempted to use counterfeit banknotes.
CPD Sgt. Ryan Gibson stated that the previous day, CPD received a call alleging that the banknotes were used to make transactions at a local business. Gibson did not know how much counterfeit currency the couple reportedly used.
“I don’t have those details right now,” Gibson said of how much counterfeit currency was seized during the arrest.
During the traffic stop and ensuing investigation, Cottonwood officers claim that both subjects supplied bogus foreign identity documents in an attempt to disguise their true identities.
Officers also reportedly discovered a considerable number of suspected counterfeit currency in the individuals’ hands, which corresponded to counterfeit notes previously revealed in the ongoing forgery investigation.
Following the arrests, authorities resumed their investigation into the vehicle, which had been reported stolen in California. The original car identification numbers had been concealed or replaced with false information, and the car was apparently sporting a fraudulent license plate.
When Gargiulo’s genuine identity was discovered, a records check showed many felony warrants out of California for vehicle theft-related charges.
The investigation has required tight collaboration with surrounding law enforcement agencies as officers and detectives attempt to discover the full breadth of the perpetrators’ alleged activity and identify any further businesses or individuals who may have been harmed.
Cazelly and Gargiulo were booked into the Yavapai County Jail in Prescott on accusations of forgery, impersonating another, theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, conspiracy, escape, and aggravated assault on law enforcement.
“Just prior to booking, when arriving at a booking facility, one of the suspects [Gargiulo] attempted to flee custody and escape on foot, which led to a foot pursuit and a brief physical struggle during that time as one of the officers received some minor injuries to his leg,” Gibson stated.
Three days later, Sedona police made a third arrest in connection with the case at a short-term rental in the 900-block of Brewer Road, according to a social media statement from the city on September 4.
SPD officers responded to the site at 12:33 p.m. Officers responded to a civil matter,” Sedona police said. “Upon arrival, it was determined that Bednarchick was [supposedly] in possession of counterfeit money, a printer for making counterfeit money, and other forgery instruments. She was arrested, and the case is being handed over to the Secret Service.”
Bednarchick was also detained for possessing “a substance that appears to be methamphetamine,” according to city spokesperson Julie Graham.
Additional charges may be added as the investigation progresses.
The United States Secret Service has been under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Homeland Security since 2003, but it was established by the United States Department of the Treasury in 1865 to combat counterfeiting.
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