$40,000 Stolen From Metro Business; Is A Crime Ring To Blame?

The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office is investigating an organized crime ring believed to be responsible for stealing nearly $40,000 from an Edmond business through a series of fraudulently cashed checks.

According to investigators, the checks were cashed on March 8. Tiendita El Parian lost slightly more than $37,000 in the scheme.

"We have no choice besides just to keep going forward," said Ricardo Diaz, who runs the business with his family. "We're scrambling to replace the money to keep our business afloat."

Security camera video captured images of more than 45 suspects believed to be involved. Photocopies of the fraudulent checks were accompanied by fraudulent IDs, most belonging to people from foreign countries.

"These individuals, these companies, these businesses, there's going to be no vindication for them because we can't identify who we're dealing with," said Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III. "We can't identify these suspects."

Despite the losses, Johnson and Diaz hope other check cashing businesses can know the signs of fraudulent check cashing. For example, the same picture is being used in several of the IDs.

"They watched every movement, they knew what hours to go in, they knew what to say, they knew to distract you and buy other things," Diaz said. "This is organized crime and really dangerous people."

The sheriff's office arrested one of the suspects, who was detained by employees at another check-cashing business. Deputies said the person has not revealed who they are working for or where they are from.

"You kind of fall victim to someone who is essentially a ghost in your area," Johnson said.