BREMERTON – A Kitsap County resident was arrested as a result of a counterfeit bill investigation.

Kyle P. M. Vickery, 27, was arrested around 11 a.m. Oct. 8 at a Bremerton-area motel after police executed a search warrant regarding 61 counterfeit bill cases in Bremerton, as well as counterfeit bills being passed north to Suquamish and south to Lakewood.

Vickery is being held in the Kitsap County Jail on $50,000 bail. Additional charges may follow. Detectives believe there are other persons involved in the counterfeiting, and the investigation will continue.

Inside Vickery’s room, Bremerton police found a copy machine, linen-type resume paper and examples of counterfeit $20 bills, as well as narcotics. Police also seized “several electronic devices and documents,” according to a press release issued by the Bremerton Police Department. BPD believes more than $2,000 worth of funny money has been circulated throughout Bremerton to multiple businesses and private citizens.

The press release said the suspect, and other people believed to have been involved, “would make the bills on the copier, iron and otherwise attempt to ‘wear’ the bills, then find laptops and other electronic items on Craigslist,” which they would purchase with the counterfeit bills then resell them for legal bills.

“We are pleased to make an arrest in this case, but people need to be aware that here may be bills still out there,” Det. Beau Ayers said in the press release.

Ayers added that while the “pens” used to detect counterfeit bills are helpful, a black light is even better, because the holograms built into legal bills will be easily visible under a black light, and “are extremely difficult for counterfeiters to replicate.” Black light devices are available through retailers.

Ayers cautioned anyone using websites like Craigslist to closely examine the money offered by a buyer before completing transactions.

— Edited by Michelle Beahm