A man is in custody in Schuylkill County Prison charged with multiple offenses related to a counterfeit scheme involving at least 18 jurisdictions in three states.

Wayne J. Sanders Jr., 30, of Wilmington, Delaware, was apprehended Wednesday following cooperation by multiple law enforcement agencies on local, state and federal levels.According to Rush Township Police Sgt. Duane Frederick, police were dispatched to HT Commons Shopping Center, Plaza Drive, Hometown, on Wednesday for a report of a man who used counterfeit $20-dollar bills to purchase items at Sally Beauty Supply, Radio Shack, The Shoe Department and other stores.The man left the scene before police arrived, apparently heading north toward Hazleton. There, at Laurel Mall in Hazle Township, the man went to a department store and attempted to return items recently purchased in Rush Township.Pennsylvania State Police from Hazleton Barracks apprehended the suspect and released him to the custody of the Rush Township Police Department.Sanders was then arraigned on numerous charges and lodged in county prison in lieu of $25,000 straight cash bail.According to police, Sanders had car keys in his possession that belonged to a 2005 silver Mercury Mountaineer that was left in the mall parking lot.The vehicle was packed with boxes and bags filled with merchandise from department stores, said police.A search warrant was executed Thursday and more than 150 items purchased since Oct. 15 were identified inside the Mercury.Uncut sheets of counterfeit money also were found inside the vehicle. The bills carried serial numbers that matched bills Sanders had used to make purchases in Rush Township, according to a police statement.Denominations of $5, $10, and $20 were used to make the purchases.It was determined that Sanders had purchased items from businesses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland.The investigation includes local and state police and the U. S. Secret Service.