ST. GEORGE — A Las Vegas man is in jail after officers responded to a fraud call and found the suspect attempting to pass a fake savings bond, and three more would be discovered by police during a search of the suspect’s truck after he was arrested.
St. George police officers responded Jan. 8 to a credit union on South River Road on a report of a fraud taking place at the bank.
According to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest, the suspect was at the credit union attempting to pass fraudulent checks. They were also advised the suspect would be sitting inside of the bank near the entrance doors wearing a dark hoodie.
Officers arrived and spoke to the bank employee who pointed to one of the loan officer’s desks where the suspect was sitting, and when asked, the man walked outside with the officer and identified himself as 56-year-old Anthony Vincent Frenza of Las Vegas.
Officers learned the suspect was in the bank attempting to cash a U.S. Savings Bond under a new account, which was consistent with a fraudulent scheme going on nationwide, according to the branch manager who became involved in the transaction and later spoke to police.
The branch manager contacted the credit union’s fraud department and was advised the savings bond the suspect presented was “not only fake, but there was no record of such a bond,” the report states.
This led officers to determine that Frenza was reportedly in possession of a forged document and was attempting to commit communications fraud, the officer noted.
Frenza was sitting in a pickup truck outside of the bank when he was detained by police, and was reportedly arguing with the officer about being placed under arrest, which is when a K-9 unit was called in to conduct a free-air sniff around the exterior of the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the animal indicated to the possible presence of illegal narcotics.
Officers obtained a warrant and during a search of the pickup, they recovered a black backpack from the floorboard of the pickup and inside they found two plastic bags. One bag contained suspected methamphetamine, while the second contained a dark substance consistent with heroin – both of which later field tested positive.
Also inside of the truck officers found three more savings bonds that also appeared to be fake.
The suspect was placed under arrest. During a search prior to transport, police say they found a glass pipe containing a white burnt residue in one of the suspect’s pockets.
Frenza was transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility facing second-degree felony communications fraud, as well as four third-degree felony counts of possession of a forgery device. He also faces two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of paraphernalia.
The suspect was formally charged with the offenses and made an initial appearance in 5th District Court, where the judge ordered that Frenza remain in custody on $10,000 bail.
Bogus securities and the United States Treasury
According to the U.S. Treasury and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, there are a number of fraudulent schemes involving bonds and securities that fraudsters are passing off as being backed by the Treasury Department or another part of the United States Government.
These scams are typically directed at banks, but can also be presented to other companies, charities and even individuals by criminals seeking payment on these fake securities.
The way in which savings bonds are presented often indicates whether the bond is real or fake. These Treasury securities are sold at public auctions on a regular auction schedule that is well known to those intent on purchasing them – not through private placements. Moreover, the U.S. Treasury does not license financial entities or individuals to act as intermediaries to sell marketable bonds or treasury securities, but they are available through banks and brokerages.
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.
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