BETHLEHEM — Six Broome County residents — aged 17 to 22 — were arrested on March 1 for passing fraudulent checks in Bethlehem.

The group had successfully passed a bad check at a local branch of the Capital Communications Federal Credit Union and the credit union had then alerted its other branches to be on the lookout, said Commander Adam Hornick, spokesman for the Bethlehm Police, said on Friday.

Events unfolded this way, according to Hornick:

Employees at the Glenmont CAP COM office called the Bethlehem Police when Kyla M. Sledge, 21, of Endicott tried to cash a fraudulent payroll check there, and Sledge was arrested there.

Police had learned earlier from credit-union workers that those passing the bad checks were driving a 2011 Chevrolet Malibu and police then located the Malibu in a Glenmont Walmart parking lot, near the credit union.

After finding the five people in the car had many other counterfeit checks and a mobile printer and check-making materials, police arrested all five: Johnoy O. Crockwell, 21, of Elmont; Anastasia A. Wells, 20, of Binghamton; Keyanna M. Banks, 20, of Vestal; Elijah K. Gibson, 17, of Endicott; and Carrie L. Clapper, 22, of Endicott.

Each of the six suspects in the case were charged with five counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony; one count of possession of a forgery device, a felony; and one count of fifth-degree conspiracy, a misdemeanor.

All six were arraigned in Bethlehem Town Court before Judge Ryan Donovan and remanded to Albany County’s jail in lieu of $20,000 bail each. They are due back in court on March 6 at 4 p.m.

Investigators have learned that the six people arrested passed or tried to pass counterfeit checks at multiple locations in Albany and Schenectady counties, Hornick said, and that they may have done so at other locations along Interstate 88 as well.

The six are known to have cashed checks in Colonie, Cohoes, and Niskayuna, Hornick said.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact Bethlehem Police.

— Elizabeth Floyd Mair