Scam believed to be part of nation-wide criminal effort
Special Operations Warrant Division Officers observed a Hispanic male exiting a Lexington Park liquor store and begin to run eastbound on Great Mills Road with a store employee exiting the establishment as well. Believing that a crime had taken place the Officers chased the subject into a nearby Fast Food Store. The owner of the store identified the suspect as a person who tried to cash a United States Treasury check that was stolen from the State of Texas. Detectives from the Bureau of Criminal Investigations continued the investigation.
Suspect Jose Valladares (Age 25 of Hyattsville, Maryland) was detained and found to be in possession of a stolen and altered Government check as well as fictitious identification. Suspect Valladares is an illegal alien and was connected to a much larger Country-wide scam. He was charged with theft of the check, counterfeiting and uttering a false or altered document.
From the earlier arrest that was made related to the same crime, Detectives were assisted by the United States Treasury Department, United States Secret Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A detainer was filed by ICE in the event Suspect Valladares is granted bond.