Okay. So, as of now, you are being detained for ongoing investigation. Okay. I don't need you to contact anybody cuz I don't need nobody to pull off or nothing like that. So, let's not do that. >> Okay. >> Okay. So, lock your phone. You don't have no identification on you. >> Is this your ID? Your legal ID? No. >> Okay. The check. Where's the check? >> Which one? >> The check you was trying to cash. Give it to the office. On April 17th, 2025, in Lyon County, Florida, a woman walked into a United States post office with a stolen Treasury check and a counterfeit ID. She was arrested and charged with aggravated identity theft and two counts of forgery. This is that encounter. What makes this stop analytically significant is the realtime federal alert network that shut down a multilocation fraud ring before it could exit the system. not real thing. Real day. I didn't get no money. I didn't cash it. Didn't cash no check for you or nothing like that. So, let's not do that. >> Oh, >> okay. So, lock your phone. You don't have no identification on you. >> What's going on? >> You're being detained at this time. >> Why? >> For we're going to we have an investigation to investigate. Apparently, you cashed a check that does not belong to you. >> So, you >> Yes, you. No. >> Okay. Well, that's what they're alleging. So, until we can further investigate, you're being detained. >> Okay. >> Okay. And you have no identification on you as at all. So, you didn't give them any identification? >> No license? Nothing? >> Yeah, I did, ma'am. >> Okay. So, where is it? >> In my purse. >> Okay. Hand it. >> I don't have I think she did it out. I can get it out my card. >> No, we can walk this way. >> Do you still have the identification that she gave you? I had your bag. >> No, you didn't give it back. >> Check and ID. I just get >> You want to set your bag on the counter? >> Is this your ID? Your legal ID? >> Okay. The check. Where's the check at? >> Where? >> The check you was trying to cash. Give it to the office. Not her check, real name. Real name, right? And she has other people in the vehicle. I'm assuming that's who you keep communicating with. >> Where did you get this made? >> I said what? >> Where did you get this made? >> You don't know? >> They already cash it, so she already they already lost money. >> Oh, they already cashing. >> Mhm. What check did you cash me? You had cash a check for me? >> No, we had another problem check just before you got here. Does >> it have to do with me though? >> No, we that wasn't regarding you. It was the same instance with the same ID, same >> the same fake ID like yours. >> You sure you name Marquila? >> You said you got a ride on time. >> Somebody out there waiting for you or something? You >> got anything in your purse? Yes. >> Um it's a group. I don't know if it's a group, but they've been hitting all of our post offices. So, we've been sharing that in a group text. Um the group that was just here, no, we can't cash a treasury check without cash. So, she fell for it. He said, "Here, I got 3,000. I want to buy three." And then he says, "Oh, here cash this check." And the check, that check was good. They're stolen and stolen from somewhere, but the ID is linked to a man somewhere. >> Um, so then we had another group just go to Quincy. They just came from Quincy and told us. And I got the email and then I just, we know now. So they came and got me cuz this stuff comes out of their check. So they said it's a tall slender black male with 120 87 treasury check. So I think this one is for 15 something. >> Mhm. >> It's not their ID. You run the ID. The one that we ran earlier was to a man. >> Mhm. They're fake IDs. >> Um >> her ID goes to a male too. >> Well, I'm not sure. >> You ain't ran it yet. Oh, see that spect ran it. Her name is totally different from >> the name she provided us. It's totally different. >> I heard her say that it was it wasn't her. I did hear her say that. >> Right. So, obviously she got an ID to [music] match the name on the check in attempt to cash a check, >> which is what the other person did, >> right? How how did y'all y'all just ran was like, "This is this is a male." >> Well, um Ryan, the inspector, he'll be here in a minute. He alerted us that someone was trying to cash his check by 2340 >> at a different location. >> And they called the postmaster was sitting in my seat. I'm just I'm the station manager. She has all five out. And I stepped out to the window and I said, "Hey, don't class don't cash a treasury check." She said, "We just did." Chen got caught into it. He said, "Here, here's 3,000. Let me buy some money orders." She put the 3,000 in her drawer and then he said, "Oh yeah, cash this check." She gave him that money right back cuz she didn't have enough to cash it cuz everybody uses debit credit. >> Mhm. >> Ryan when he got here he ran the ID that she provided and it came back as a mail. >> Mhm. >> When Inspector Ryan of the United States Postal Inspection Service ran her identification, it came back registered to a male under Terry versus Ohio 392 US1 1968. A mismatched ID on a stolen federal check satisfies reasonable articulable suspicion without further analysis. A defense attorney could argue the initial detention rested on an informal group text, not a sworn source. That argument ends the moment the database return confirms the mismatch. The subject had already visited Centerville, then Westside, then this location. Same day, same photograph, different stolen checks, different names. Two purpose-built counterfeit IDs, same photo, same date of birth. That is not the profile of an unknowing participant. The associate in the silver car fled the moment deputies arrived under Illinois versus Wllo 528US119 2000. Unprovoked flight is a recognized factor in establishing reasonable suspicion and confirmed a second actor still at large. Title 18 United States Code section 510 criminalizes passing a fraudulent treasury check up to 10 years per count. Title 18, United States Code, section 1,028A, adds a mandatory 2-year consecutive sentence. No federal judge can suspend or run concurrent. Florida statute 831.01 forgery and 831.02 uttering a forged instrument are each secondderee felonies carrying up to 15 years. Florida statute 322.212 212 adds up to 5 years per counterfeit ID on her person. She was carrying two. Florida statute 817.568 elevates the offense to a secondderee felony when value reaches $5,000. At $5,072 seized, she crosses that line. Two counterfeit IDs, each paired to a different stolen check, make the unknowing participant defense very difficult to sustain. >> Cast the check, >> right? So, >> they're making an ID to go with that check. >> Right. The the money from this check, did y'all provide it to her or y'all >> Oh, no. Didn't give her the check. Still got the check. >> The cash from the previous one, that was the one y'all were cash. >> We cashed it. >> Okay. So, she attempted to uh get this check cash, however y'all caught it. So, y'all didn't provide her with any cash. However, >> I need you to hold her because the inspectors are at a different location from the earlier. >> Mhm. >> Uh their office is not too far. It's the next exit. >> Mhm. >> Uh you're aware of who they are, >> the inspectors. >> Mhm. >> Um >> they're the federal agents for the post. Well, they work for actually the they are the federal police force for they carry a badge and everything. >> I I've never talked to one in person. I heard like they real >> theft theft of mail and stuff and they >> man, you don't want to when they show up the file is this thick >> and I get them for um stealing my mail. Yeah. >> Stealing my gas cards. >> You know, >> it happens. >> Okay. fact. So the the regional man or whatever. So he said this person is the one who passed early. This man and this is his ID. >> Also she went to the center office. Same day, same picture, just a different name >> and attempted to cash this too. >> But they didn't cash that. They didn't cash that one. But they did cash his. >> Okay. Yeah, that's what she was saying. >> But she does have she has a second ID. Same picture, same paper, just a different name. >> Okay. >> Was that on on her property or >> I don't know if it's on the property. I ain't checking. >> Um, >> but I didn't put it out. But it's the same different. >> You got that uh check. >> This one? >> Oh, yeah. >> Look what he just said. >> It is not signed. >> You ever seen those pictures? >> Yeah. I don't know what I'm going to do with them yet. Um, >> where's where? [clears throat] She's right here. >> Uh, yeah. The suspect's at the end in their little conference room. Okay. >> Like I said, I got her detained. Okay. >> Um, and essentially what I told you, she came up here with a check, tried to cash it with a fake ID. It's not her. Um, the name on the ID is >> it's not a real name. It's a fake name. >> Right. >> But the name on the ID comes to the uh check holder. >> So, it matches the checkolder. >> Yeah. So her fake ID matches the name on that fake document, >> right? >> No, it's a real It's probably a real document. >> They created a fake fake. >> They created a fake to match that name on there. >> She's I think she's the same one that was at Centerville earlier today. >> Oh, wow. >> Um I sent um your deputy all the information that uh cuz I was there. >> I missed her by like 10 minutes >> at Centerville. Then I heard they went to Westside and they came here or the guy that was here did did they shouldn't have done it. He converted the check for postal money orders. But like I said, she don't want to talk. She got a large cash. >> Oh, she does. >> Well, see, you got to be here for a >> Yes, sir. >> I was just close. >> Yeah. Yeah, I appreciate it. We'll get your 6:30 right after we'll get >> this. I don't know if he informed you cuz I spoke on him first. Um, same description from an earlier location, just a different name. Same data bridge, just a different name on the license. >> Same picture as this one. >> Where' you get this from from >> the other location? >> The only problem is >> Yeah, you can just see the picture in the date of birth. That's it. In the date of birth, that's the same. Just a different name. >> Gotcha. Gotcha. >> And a different check as well. >> Okay. You ever been arrested before? You from Georgia? >> Florida? >> Louisiana? >> I live in Georgia. >> Live in Georgia. >> What's your You know your social? >> You don't know your social, but that's your name. >> Okay. >> So, you have a Louisiana ID. You got a Florida ID. What ID? >> Georgia. You said Albany. >> Atlanta. >> Oh, Atlanta first. Let's take a look at what >> you 72 $5,000 $5,72. >> Yep. I understand you want to remain silent. So I'm not going to love to talk. If you want to talk, but if you want to remain silent, this it's your choice. Can't do anything about that. Sometimes after she said 5:00 bag Okay, I got one. Okay. All right. So, we're going to That's her phone, but not her cord. Okay. So, we'll take the phone, but not the cord. That's when the bank's cords. >> Okay. All righty. Now, this going to go out this way. I'm going grab your left arm so you don't fall. You know, you put this on that. Okay. Um, just so you know, if you take anything in there that's illegal, consider contraband, that be another. >> Is it possible I can get a number so I know who to call? >> Your phone? >> Yeah. At the time of this analysis, Marsha Frell was charged with aggravated identity theft under Title 18, United States Code Section 128A and two counts of forgery under Florida statute 831.01. The deputy receives an A minus. Detention was articulated from the first sentence. Phone access was restricted to prevent coordination and the subject's right to silence was honored immediately and without pressure. The one correctable gap, no proactive Miranda advisement before voluntary questioning, though all pre-invocation statements remain admissible. Marshia Ferrell receives a C minus. Invoking silence was the right call, but it came after she had already described the scheme's structure, referenced specific transactions, and acknowledged co-conspirators at other locations. Every voluntary statement is now potential trial evidence. She also carried two counterfeit IDs on her person, each matched to a separate stolen check. Lesson one. The Fifth Amendment only protects you if you use it from the start. State your name if required by law and nothing else. Lesson two, post offices are federal property. Any crime inside falls under federal jurisdiction where sentencing minimums are mandatory and a judge's discretion to reduce terms is sharply limited. Lesson three. Under Terry versus Ohio, reasonable articulable suspicion is a low threshold. A mismatched ID on a federal instrument clears it immediately. No probable cause required. Lesson four. What stopped this scheme was the real time alert network of the United States Postal Inspection Service. When institutions share threat information fast, the window for fraud closes. Lesson five. Two counterfeit IDs each paired to a different stolen check. Eliminate the unknowing participant defense under section 1028A. Physical evidence alone satisfies the knowledge element. Let us know if there is an interaction or legal topic you would like us to discuss in the comments below. We read all of them. If there is a body cam interaction or legal question you want covered, let us