Two Ann Arbor residents and a Canton resident are accused of starting a scheme to cash fraudulent money orders with a face value of more that $530,000, according to the Observer & Eccentric.

But Westland police say a suspicious store owner helped officers arrest the trio before the scheme got off the ground.

Charged with misdemeanor fraud in the case are Colleen Herndon, 45, and Lori Cope, 22, both of Ann Arbor, and Nathan Snowberger, 19, of Canton, according to the Observer & Eccentric.

Police told the newspaper Cope and Snowberger tried to cash two $995 money orders the day after a similar one had been cashed at the store.

One of the suspects later surrendered a brown envelope containing fraudulent money orders with a face value of more that $530,000, the article said.

• Read the complete story