12/4 YCSO charged two men with mail thefts and check washing in the Verde Valley. The suspects, 28-year-old Francisco Hernandez and 38-year-old Raul Rodriguez, both of California, stole mail from blue mailboxes, washed the checks and then rewrote them and cashed them at area banks. So far, detectives have identified 15 victims. Officials believe there will be more victims. Detectives say the pair committed these crimes in Flagstaff, Sedona, Rimrock, Camp Verde, Cornville, Prescott Valley, and Cottonwood. A Cottonwood bank employee is being credited with catching the fraud and alerting police. Both are also suspects in similar cases in California. The suspects reportedly admitted they targeted the Verde Valley because it’s quiet and didn’t local law enforcement would catch them.
