2 Suspects Caught After Multi-County Crime Spree Involving Bogus Checks

A man and woman are locked up, after an alleged multi-county crime spree. 

Police in Anadarko said they were able to connect the dots after 28-year-old Sara Jo Hash and 25-year-old Chance Alan Smith ripped off a local grocery store back in late February.

The pair were finally caught in Le Flore County, but investigators said they targeted six counties overall.

“They think they are just gonna [sic] get away with it, and no one is going to be, none the wiser,” said Officer Travis Maloy.

Officers said the manager of the Williams grocery store reported the suspects asked to check three checks, totaling $983.56.

Hash and Smith were caught on camera, and police said they had no trouble tying them to the crime. The two had to show ID's to get paid.

“Fortunately for us, they used their real ID’s, and so we were able to track them that way,” said Officer Maloy.

Investigators said to the clerk it appeared the suspects were trying to cash paychecks from the local Taco Mayo and O'Reilly's Auto Parts. The checks bounced, and at that time officers took a deeper look.

Soon, police said they figured out the checks had been made on a common computer and printer, and that the man and woman had never worked at either of those businesses.

Anadarko police later discovered Hash and Smith had been arrested in Le Flore County.

According to Officer Maloy, they also had similar crimes in Grady, McIntosh, Wagoner and Haskell counties.

“Some of the counties they actually went in and bought tools, firearms. Some of them, they cashed just a single check,” he said.

Court documents reveal when Hash and Smith were caught in Le Flor County, they had "...a computer and printer in the car."

Police said the that’s how the two were printing their fake money.

The damages of their alleged crimes are still undetermined.

“They will go to smaller cities, smaller places, just because they may think it's easier to get away with this kind of stuff,” said Officer Maloy.

Police said while the crimes differ by county, in Caddo County the two are facing charges of Computer Fraud, Forgery and Conspiracy.