MARTIN COUNTY — The Sheriff’s Office is looking for any counterfeit bills that may be in circulation around the county, after several people using the cash in area stores were arrested June 4.
Deputies went to the businesses where the counterfeit bills were used, but were not able to recover all of the money. They are still looking for the remaining counterfeit bills that were given to businesses and may have been given out as change.
The Sheriff’s Office did not recover any counterfeit money over the weekend, according to sheriff’s spokesperson Christine Christofek.
Sheriff John 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 suspect the person of using the counterfeit money.
Counterfeit money recovered by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office on June 4, 2025. Detectives recovered $4,000 in counterfeit money when searching one of the people’s vehicles, but they believe more is still out there.
Three people each were charged with possessing 10 or more forged bills, organized retail theft, and uttering forged instruments. The uttering charge refers to using a fraudulent document or some form of forged payment to defraud someone. All three are in the Martin County Jail.
A fourth person is expected to be charged in the case involving the counterfeit money spending spree, according to sheriff’s officials.
A woman in the group went into labor when approached by detectives and was transported to a hospital to give birth. She was not taken into custody at the time because the Sheriff’s Office did not want to separate her from her newborn baby, sheriff’s officials said June 6.
The sheriff’s office is working with the state to obtain the warrant for her arrest, sheriff’s spokesperson Christine Christofek said June 9.
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Martin County Sheriff’s Office asks for help finding counterfeit bills