Counterfeit bills found Sunday during a routine traffic stop in Hurricane on Sunday, July 17. Ronald Burch and Catherine Wever were arrested on multiple charges including ID fraud and forgery. Monday's arrest of Jeron Hales on similar charges provided evidence of fraudulent document production and counterfeiting. The investigation is ongoing and is likely to grow. | Photo Courtesy of Hurricane Police Department
HURRICANE – Three suspects are in jail following an investigation into a stash of counterfeit bills, drugs and a truckload of computers, printers and other equipment used to produce fake IDs.
Jeron Scott Hales, 36 of Hurricane, was arrested Monday on a third-degree felony count of possession of multiple ID documents belonging to another person and identity fraud.
Hales was booked into the Washington County Jail on $50,000 cash-only bail.
Hurricane Police Detective Stacey Gubler said Hales was arrested around 4:30 p.m. at a building once used as a hostel located at 73 S. Main in Hurricane.
“We recovered a substantial amount of electronic equipment and material used to make fraudulent ID’s,” said Gubler. “We filled the back of a police truck with computers, printers, laminating equipment, fraudulent documents and software. This is the biggest case I’ve ever seen like this.”
Officers with the Hurricane Police Department, Washington County Drug Task Force and Gang Task Force, along with Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, assisted in the arrest after obtaining a search warrant for the location.
Monday’s arrest came on the heels of the arrest Sunday of Catherine Ann Wever and Ronald Aaron Burch.
Wever, 32 of Cedar City, was arrested on numerous third-degree felony counts of drug possession, finance card possession and possession of another’s ID document.
Burch, 41 of Enterprise, was arrested on numerous third-degree felony counts of drug possession, possession of counterfeit money, and possession of multiple ID documents.
Police also charged Burch with carrying a concealed, loaded weapon, a class-A misdemeanor, and driving with the weapon while intoxicated.
Gubler said the suspects were arrested after Hurricane Police Sgt. Jeff Adams and Officer Justin Gray pulled the pair over in their vehicle on a traffic violation.
“Following an investigation at the scene, officers found over $8,000 in counterfeit bills and a loaded pistol on Burch,” said Gubler. After Burch and Wever were arrested, officers continued the investigation into the fraudulent ID’s found during the traffic stop. That investigation led to Monday’s arrest of Hales, Gubler said.
“We believe all three of these suspects are linked together. We could not have done this (investigation) without the other agencies involved,” he said, adding the case remains open and additional charges may be pending.
* Individuals arrested are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.