Surprise Police catch woman using counterfeit money at yard sales

SURPRISE, AZ - A 67-year-old Peoria woman has been arrested for using counterfeit bills to pay for items at yard sales.

Surprise police spokesman Bert Anzini said Susan Patterson has been using fake money to pay for items over the course of several months.

Anzini said there have been at least eight people who have received counterfeit bills as payment from the suspect. 

Police learned Patterson's identity after she was positively identified by her victims. Officers arrested Patterson after she gave a counterfeit bill to another victim at a yard sale Saturday. 

Anzini said additional counterfeit bills were found in Patterson's possession and in her vehicle at the time of her arrest.

Patterson is facing felony charges for eight counts of forgery and one count of fraudulent schemes.

The Surprise Police Department is working with the United States Secret Service to determine the origin of the counterfeit bills.