2 men in jail after UHP trooper discovers alleged counterfeit operation with $5K in fake $100 bills

Stock image | St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Several thousand dollars in what authorities say were counterfeit $100 bills were recovered and two men are in jail following a traffic stop on Interstate 15 in Washington County after a Utah Highway Patrol Trooper spotted an SUV heading south at over 90 mph.

2017 file photo of Utah Highway Patrol troopers at crash on I-15 southbound near mile marker 4, St. George, Utah, Jan. 3, 2017 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Two men appeared in court Friday following the traffic stop that took place on the evening of Aug.  23 after a UHP trooper noticed a Ford Bronco with Texas plates heading south on I-15 at more than 90 mph shortly after 7:30 p.m., according to charging documents filed with the courts.

The car pulled off the interstate just south of Leeds at mile marker 22 in Washington County, where the trooper approached the vehicle that was occupied by two males. And while speaking to the driver, later identified as David Andrew Olivares, 36, of San Antonia, Texas, the trooper reportedly detected the smell of burnt marijuana coming from inside of the car.

When the trooper inquired as to the marijuana odor, the report states the driver responded by handing over a glass pipe commonly used to smoke the substance, and the trooper also learned that neither occupant had a valid medical marijuana card.

During a records check, the trooper also discovered that the passenger, Javier Garcia, 33, who also hailed from Texas and a resident of Converse, just outside San Antonio, was wanted out of his home state on a forgery case. Authorities also confirmed the warrant was extraditable out of Utah and he was taken into custody by police.

With the passenger in custody on the out-of-state warrant, the trooper then conducted a search of the vehicle, during which more than 50 counterfeit $100 bills were recovered, along with printing equipment that authorities suspect was used to create the fake currency.

“Garcia admitted to manufacturing and using the bills,” wrote the trooper, adding they also recovered suspected methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana, noting the amounts recovered indicated the substances were likely for personal use only.

During questioning, Garcia claimed ownership of the methamphetamine that was found behind the passenger seat where he was sitting when the vehicle was stopped by police. Officers also recovered multiple paraphernalia-related items from the vehicle.

Following the search, Olivares also was arrested and both men were transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility where each were facing multiple charges, including five third-degree felony counts of forgery, along with misdemeanor charges for possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia.

On Friday, Garcia made an initial appearance before District Judge John J. Walton who ordered that he remain in custody on both the current charges and the felony warrant issued out of Texas.

Olivares also made an initial appearance in court on Friday, where District Judge Eric Ludlow scheduled a bail review hearing that will take place on Tuesday.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier of fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!