(Reno, N.V.) A year-long investigation by the U.S. Secret Service and local Reno, NV area law enforcement partners has resulted in the indictment of Thomas Morla and Yvonne Flores of Sacramento, California. Both were indicted on Wednesday, May 24th, 2016, by a Federal Grand Jury for Manufacturing, Passing, Possessing and Conspiracy to Make and Pass Counterfeit Obligations of the United States.
On Tuesday, May 31st, 2016, Morla and Flores were arrested by Secret Service agents of the Reno Resident Office for the above listed charges. Later on this date, both appeared before a Federal Magistrate Judge and ordered detained until trial.
“These arrests are a culmination of a yearlong investigation conducted by the Secret Service and our local law enforcement partners,” said Secret Service Resident Agent in Charge George Cheretis. “The extraordinary work of the Carson City Sheriff’s Office Deputies was critical to bringing federal charges against both Morla and Flores, who are alleged to have passed and manufactured counterfeit $100 United States currency throughout the northern Nevada region.”
On Thursday, May 5th, 2016, Carson City Sheriff’s Office Deputies located and arrested Morla and Flores, charging them with state counterfeiting violations. A subsequent search of Morla and Flores’ hotel room, by detectives, Deputies, and Secret Service agents discovered the equipment and supplies used to manufacture the counterfeit currency.
Morla and Flores are both from the Sacramento, California area and frequented the Northern Nevada area during the past several months, when they were alleged to have manufactured and then passed counterfeit currency at local businesses. The amount of counterfeit currency passed in this investigation represents a substantial percentage of the total counterfeit currency passed in the Northern Nevada area, over the past year.
Anyone with information concerning this investigation is urged to contact the Secret Service, Reno Resident Office at 775-784-5354.
Thomas Morla
Title 18, United States Code, Section 371-Conspiracy to Make and Pass Counterfeit Obligations of the United States
Title 18, United States Code, Section 471-Making Counterfeit Obligations of the United States/Aiding and Abetting
Title 18, United States Code, Section 472-Passing Counterfeit Obligations of the United States
Title 18, United States Code, Section 2 and 472- Possession of Counterfeit Obligations of the United States
Yvonne Flores
Title 18, United States Code, Section 371-Conspiracy to Make and Pass Counterfeit Obligations of the United States
Title 18, United States Code, Section 471-Making Counterfeit Obligations of the United States/Aiding and Abetting
Title 18, United States Code, Section 472-Passing Counterfeit Obligations of the United States
Title 18, United States Code, Section 2 and 472- Possession of Counterfeit Obligations of the United States
The U.S. Secret Service has taken a lead role in mitigating the threat of financial crimes since the agency’s inception in 1865. As technology has evolved, the scope of the U.S. Secret Service’s mission has expanded from its original counterfeit currency investigations to also include emerging financial, electronic and cyber-crimes. As a component agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Secret Service has established successful partnerships in both the law enforcement and business communities – across the country and around the world – in order to effectively combat financial crimes.