SPRINGDALE -- Eight people have been arrested in connection with felony charges involving forgery.

They are accused of stealing checks from mailboxes, washing checks and forging and cashing them at banks and businesses using real and fake IDs that matched the names on the checks, said Lt. Derek Hudson with the Springdale Police Department.

Washing checks is when a chemical is applied that removes some information on the document. The information is replaced with fake information using computers, scanners and printers.

So far, more than $20,000 was stolen and forged, according to Hudson, and more is expected to be found.

Police started receiving reports about stolen checks June 25.

Detectives determined Spencer Mason and Michelle Mast's home was the hub for the crimes, Hudson said. They found stolen checks in a desk drawer and in a barbecue grill while searching the home, according to arrest reports. Drugs were also found during the search.

The Springdale Police Department, Washington County investigators, and agents from the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal Service were involved in the investigation.

"The U.S. Secret Service is involved because first-degree forgery is a federal crime," Hudson said.

William Bashlor, 29, of 1952 S. Ash St. in Fayetteville was arrested July 2 in connection with residential burglary, second-degree forgery, theft of property, and continuing criminal enterprise.

Shawn Cox, 31, of 906 E. Parks St. in Prairie Grove was arrested June 25 in connection with second-degree forgery and continuing criminal enterprise. He is also facing other charges of financial identity fraud, three other counts of forgery, two counts of theft by receiving, fleeing, failure to appear, and misdemeanor driving with a suspended license, speeding and failure to pay costs and fines.

Angelina Elliott, 29, of 1006 W. Center St. in Springdale was arrested July 6 in connection with parole violation, second-degree forgery, attempted forgery and continuing criminal enterprise and misdemeanor failure to appear.

Christopher Evans, 30, of 23440 County Road 530 in Colcord, Okla., was arrested Friday, in connection with theft of property, three counts of second-degree forgery and continuing criminal enterprise.

Spencer Mason, 32, of 705 McKinney St. in Springdale was arrested Friday in connection with first-degree forgery, two counts of second-degree forgery, theft of property, fraudulent use of a credit card, continuing criminal enterprise and possession of methamphetamine.

Michelle Mast, 35, of 705 McKinney St. in Springdale was arrested Saturday in connection with second-degree forgery and continuing criminal enterprise. She was released from the Washington County Detention Center on a $3,500 bond later the same day.

Erick Picker-Ramirez, also known as Randal Stevenson, of 19611 Buckland Park in Katy, Texas, was arrested Saturday in connection with first-degree forgery, second-degree forgery, theft of property, continuing criminal enterprise and possession of drug paraphernalia.

"They had methamphetamine pipes," Hudson said.

Candice Watkins, 26, of 858 Amethyst Ave. in Springdale was arrested Saturday in connection with first-degree forgery, second-degree forgery, theft of property, fraudulent use of credit cards and continuing criminal enterprises.

All except Mast were being held Monday at the Washington County Detention Center. Mason has no bond, Bashlor's is $2,500, Cox's is $103,628 and Elliot's is $1,245. She is being sent to the Department of Community Corrections. Evans' and Picker-Ramirez each have a bond of $5,000 and Watkins' bond is $3,500.

Cox was arrested first and he confessed to stealing checks from mailboxes throughout the area and cashing them, according to an arrest report.

Elliott also confessed to stealing checks from mailboxes and cashing them. Elliott also informed Washington County detectives that Mason, Evans, Mast, Watkins, and Picker-Ramirez were stealing checks, washing them and cashing them, according to the report.

All suspects confessed to stealing hundreds of checks from area mailboxes, washing them to create new ones and forging others, according to detectives.

Hudson said the investigation is ongoing.