Yamhill County Grand Jury has indicted two people on multiple charges – accused of manufacturing and using counterfeit $100 bills to buy gift cards at Safeway Stores across Oregon.
“When counterfeiters flood the market with fake bills, it’s small businesses, already stretched thin by inflation and rising costs, that pay the price,” Oregon Attorney General Rayfield said. “Our partnerships with local law enforcement are keeping communities safe and holding scammers accountable.”
The case began when Safeway’s Organized Retail Crime team identified Mark Melendez and Heather Fawcett as the suspects. Safeway referred the case to the Oregon Department of Justice, which opened an investigation in partnership with the Yamhill County District Attorney’s Office, the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, and Safeway Organized Retail Crime…