Greendale Police Helped in Counterfeit Ring Case

Greendale police investigating counterfeit money passed in the village ended up helping federal agents close a suspected counterfeit ring creating and passing counterfeit bills through the Milwaukee area. 

The U.S. Attorney's Office on Tuesday charged the men—Steven G. Luster, 49, and his son Stevon M. Luster, 20; Abraham T. Scull, 28, and Antonio L. Jenkins-Gates, 30—with possessing, selling and passing more than $25,000 of counterfeit U.S. currency.

The charges follow a long investigation by the United States Secret Service, working with local law enforcement agencies throughout Southeastern Wisconsin. The case against Scull and Jenkins-Gates involves the passing of counterfeit bills in Menomonee Falls and Wauwatosa, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the case against the Lusters involves incidents in West Milwaukee, Franklin, Pleasant Prairie, Greenfield, Brookfield, New Berlin, Waukesha , Fond du Lac, Wauwatosa, Menomonee Falls, Grafton, Germantown, Delafield, and Glendale.

The men are accused of bleaching $5 bills, and reprinting them into higher-denomination bills, then either using them to make purchases throughout Southeastern Wisconsin or selling them to other people who used the bills. 

Outlined in the complaints against them are times when the men, or people who purchased the money from them, including confidential sources, used the bills at Walmart and Shopko in Sheboygan; Walmart in Germantown; McDonald's in Menomonee Falls; Target stores in Greenfield, Milwaukee and West Milwaukee; Kohl's in Brown Deer; Petsmart in Grafton, McDonald's in Belgium; and to purchase a vehicle in Hales Corners.

Also in the complaint against the Lusters is an incident on Jan. 15, when Greendale police brought in someone suspected of cusing counterfeit money. That person ended up telling police about the Lusters, and is listed in the complaint against them as a cooperating suspect.