Police: $13,000 in counterfeit money seized during traffic stop on I-15 in Washington City

ST. GEORGE — Three suspects are in jail following at traffic stop on Interstate 15 in Washington City late Tuesday night, during which authorities recovered nearly a dozen bundles of what appeared to be counterfeit currency. One of the  suspects was on pretrial release on two separate cases filed out of state at the time of the arrest.

2016 file photo for illustrative purposes only of Interstate 15 near Exit 8, St. George, Utah, Aug. 24, 2016 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

The incident started when an officer stationed on I-15 near mile marker 8 monitoring traffic noticed a car heading north with California plates that reduced its speed as soon as the driver spotted the patrol vehicle. The officer followed the vehicle for several miles before conducting a traffic stop near mile marker 13 in Washington City.

According to the probable cause statements filed in support of the arrests, while advising the driver of the two traffic infractions, a K-9 team was deployed to conduct a free-air sniff around the car.

As the officer was busy writing up a written warning, the K-9 indicated to the possible presence of narcotics, and a search of the vehicle ensued.

During the search, officers recovered several $20 bills from a purse that were all imprinted with the same serial number and had an abnormal texture, the report states, leading officers to believe the bills were counterfeit. They also collected a number of other bills from the cupholder near the center console that appeared to be fake as well.

When the trunk was searched, officers reportedly found a large black duffel bag with 11 bundles of counterfeit bills that totaled more than $11,000, along with a number of counterfeit $20 bills that were also collected at the scene.

In total, more than $13,000 in counterfeit bills was recovered during the stop. Officers also recovered a plastic bag containing suspected marijuana during a search of one of the purses located inside of the car.

At that point, an agent with Homeland Security was contacted and responded to the scene to interview the suspects.

2017 file photo of the Washington Parkway interchange with Interstate 15 in Washington City, Utah, Oct. 25, 2017 | Photo courtesy of Washington City, St. George News

As it turned out, all three occupants were traveling through Utah from Southern California, including the driver, who was identified as 30-year-old Kastralia Julianette Herbert, of Lancaster, along with 29-year-old Savannah Symore Duncan, of Los Angeles, and Anthony Tony Durant, 41, of Inglewood.

Once the interviews were completed, the trio was taken into custody and booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility, where each is facing five third-degree felony counts of forgery.

Durant and Duncan also face misdemeanor possession of marijuana and paraphernalia charges.

During the booking process, officers discovered that Duncan was on pretrial release on cases filed in two separate states, and she was also on federal probation when the arrest in Utah took place.

All three suspects remain in custody without bail. 

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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