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GREENSBORO — Police are seeking multiple suspects in a elaborate counterfeit check ring that, so far, has led to six arrests and the loss of $50,000 to local businesses.

The alleged ring leader — Tony LaMont Harris, 40 — was arrested July 2 and several suspected associates have been arrested as well.

But detectives say they still don’t have a full picture of how large the counterfeit web became and how many people were involved, nor how many victims have yet to step forward.

“Right now we are looking at a loss of $50,000 and we still have reports trickling in,” said Detective S.R. Mardis of Greensboro.

Mardis said police uncovered the scheme in August 2008 by determining that multiple counterfeit check cases they were working were related. The larger investigation took off in February with the arrest of a suspect who pointed them toward Harris.

She said an investigation uncovered that Harris of 2000 Gramercy Park Drive was using a room at the Oaks Motel on Summit Avenue to make fake checks belonging to numerous area banks and to local businesses.

“He would buy payroll checks from actual employees of businesses — offering $50 to someone to give him their pay stub,” Mardis said.

“He would scan the image, go to Office Depot and buy check-making paper and alter the name and employee payroll information. He would have the company’s checking account number (on the check) and he was off to the races.”

Police also accuse Harris of  using numerous people to cash checks and return the money to him for a stipend. Mardis said he also bought and stole stolen driver’s licenses and other personal identification to help fuel the scheme.

During his arrest July 2, officers recovered numerous printers, computer equipment and other “tools of the trade,”  Mardis said.

The ring also has connections to Winston-Salem, High Point and counties along the North Carolina coast.

Mardis said the stolen money was going mainly to support drug habits.

In addition to Harris, officers have arrested Daryl Washington, 40; Terrall Devon Lambert, 29; Sherman Cox, 60; Anthony Rayshawn Simpson, 19; and Edward Sonzal Reynolds, 48 in connection with the scheme.

Charges from the investigation include obtaining property by false pretense, forgery of instruments, uttering forged instruments, trafficking stolen identities and more.

With the exception of Cox, each man was still listed in the Guilford County jail on Tuesday night.

Harris’ bond amount was over $75,000 and other suspects had bonds of more than $20,000.

Police are still looking to identify a female suspect seen on video surveillance cameras where checks were cashed and are seeking leads on others possibly involved.

Mardis said many criminals are moving into white-collar financial crimes to support drug habits because they know they will spend less time in jail if caught.

She estimated that there are at least 30 other check schemes similar to this one operating in the area.

“The only downfall to this is that they are using actual valid account numbers,” Mardis said.

“The best advice (to businesses) would be to leave the check cashing to financial institutions, because there are a lot of mom and pop stores that offer check cashing. (Businesses) are leaving themselves open to heartache.”

Anyone with information in these cases to call Crime Stoppers at 373-1000. Callers remain anonymous and are eligible for cash rewards.

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com