Police arrest local man on multiple counterfeiting charges

A La Grande man was arrested Wednesday morning on numerous charges involving alleged use of counterfeit currency.

La Grande Police Chief Brian Harvey said Zachary James Andyke, 28, was taken into custody about 7:55 a.m. by officers from the La Grande Police Department and deputies from the Union County Sheriff’s Office.

Harvey said the arrest, which was made as officers served a search warrant, was the culmination of a month-long investigation headed by Sgt. John Shaul of the police department.

Andyke was charged with 15 counts of forgery in the first degree, two counts of possession of a forged instrument, criminal possession of a forged device, possession of methamphetamine and theft in the second degree.

Additional charges are pending, Harvey said.

Andyke is lodged in the Union County Correctional Facility.

The investigation is ongoing, Harvey said. He added that citizens should be cautious when accepting currency and look for signs of counterfeit bills.

There are extensive guidelines on detecting counterfeit bills on the U.S. Secret Service website, www.secretservice.gov.

People who may have received counterfeit bills or have any information regarding the case should contact the police department, 541-963-1017.