Reports of counterfeit $100 bills surfacing at the St. Helena post office ended with two people in handcuffs last Wednesday, according to St. Helena police. Officers stopped a vehicle in downtown that they believed was tied to the report and say they recovered counterfeit bills, money orders and receipts from inside the car.
Two suspects, 31-year-old Jermahl Mister of Fresno and 45-year-old Pauleen Pangatihon of Vallejo, were booked into Napa County Jail. Police say Mister was also booked on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Sgt. L. J. Montelli said the case has been turned over to U.S. Postal Inspectors for further review.
Tip At Post Office Sparked The Investigation
As reported by the Napa Valley Register, someone bought money orders at the St. Helena post office using what appeared to be counterfeit $100 bills. Flock license plate cameras later flagged a vehicle re-entering town that officers believed was connected to the transaction.
Police stopped that car in downtown St. Helena and arrested Mister and Pangatihon. Authorities say they found counterfeit currency, money orders and receipts in the vehicle, which investigators believe are part of a scheme to exchange money orders for cash at local businesses.
Postal Inspectors Step In On Fraud Angle
Because the alleged activity involved money orders and the postal system, St. Helena police handed the case off to federal postal investigators. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service routinely investigates schemes that use the mail to move counterfeit checks and money orders and also provides resources for merchants and victims…