Feds: Three Stole Tens of Thousands from Northern Mariana Islands

Three people were arrested this week after being charged in a scheme to steal tens of thousands of dollars from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Larry Tagabuel of Clackamas and Brooke Phillips and Kenatis Alafanso - both from Vancouver - allegedly deposited counterfeit checks into their bank accounts and then withdrew large amounts from ATMs and bank branches in the area.

Prosecutors say that a legitimate tax rebate check from the commonwealth was scanned by an unnamed co-conspirator who used it to create fake rebate checks drawn from an account maintained by the commonwealth government at the bank of Guam.

The trio allegedly stole approximately $24,000.

Tagabuel and Phillips are still in custody. Alafanso was released.