Click the play button on the video window to the right to see the storyMore than 100 violent Valley gang members were indicted Tuesday on charges related to an elaborate check-washing scheme.
Officials call the bust ‘Operation Blank Check,’ a three-year investigation of criminals washing checks and scheming Valley companies out of more than two million dollars.
The FBI, Phoenix Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and other Valley departments took 38 of the 102 people arrested into custody Tuesday.
Officials said most of the criminals involved with the check fraud scheme were also connected to several violent crimes across the Valley.
Attorney General Terry Goddard hopes many Valley neighborhoods will be positively affected by taking these violent criminals off the streets.
“This is a fight back,” Goddard said.
Task force officials said another 16 gang members are connected to the scheme and they expect more arrests to come in the near future.
