Dauphin County fraud suspects held on $3M bail in federal investigation

DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) – Three men accused of forgery and fraud are each being held on $3 million bail in Dauphin County as part of a larger ongoing federal investigation.

According to a criminal complaint on May 18, a Lower Paxton Township officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle after observing a passenger throw a piece of trash and the driver failing to use a turn signal.

During the traffic stop police said they smelled marijuana and no occupants had a medical marijuana card. The vehicle, which had heavily tinted windows, was searched and police located numerous items related to fraud and forgery. 

Police say items discovered included numerous debit/credit cards labeled with different names, approximately one hundred blank business checks, a fraudulent scanned check deposited for $5,500, and three US Postal Service blue mailbox keys. 

Police say it is illegal for anyone but postal workers to possess these keys. 

Police also found a small baggie of suspected marijuana, a small marijuana blunt, and a fraudulent Pennsylvania Driver’s License. Police say one of the suspects had two fraudulent checks in his sock that were forged with names associated with debit and credit cards.

Ronald Gates III, Daral Cresswell, and Brice Ransom, all from Philadelphia, were each charged with multiple felonies including forgery, criminal conspiracy engaging in forgery, access device fraud, receiving stolen property and possession of an instrument of crime with intent.

All three have been arraigned and committed to Dauphin County Prison on $3 million bail each.

The abc27 Investigators have learned postal Inspectors in Harrisburg are assisting in the investigation. The U.S.P.S. service could not comment further saying this case is part of a larger ongoing federal investigation. 

Their preliminary hearings are set for June 1