Kissimmee police have arrested a Colombian national – 52-year-old Jorge Ortiz-Pulgarin – for possession of counterfeit currency.

On Saturday at approximately 9:30 a.m., a Kissimmee police officer was conducting an unrelated traffic stop in the area of John Young Parkway and Amberwood Boulevard when he noticed a dark blue BMW with a tinted front windshield. The officer instructed the vehicle to pull over in front of the previously stopped vehicle.

A check of the vehicle revealed it was not properly registered. At that time the driver – Ortiz-Pulgarin – was detained while the officer conducted a field investigation. Officers received consent from Ortiz-Pulgarin to search the vehicle where they found a black purse that contained three separate envelopes.

In one of the envelopes, officers found 50 counterfeit $100 bills. Ortiz-Pulgarin was placed under arrest and transported to the Kissimmee Police Department to be interviewed by Kissimmee detectives and a U.S. Secret Service agent.

The vehicle was thoroughly searched at the Kissimmee Police Department and detectives found $14,802 of valid US currency and $6,500 of counterfeit U.S. currency. Detectives also located 46 random gift cards from various retailers.

Ortiz-Pulgarin was arrested for possession of more than 10 counterfeit bills and was transported to the Osceola County Jail. At the request of Ortiz-Pulgarin, officers contacted the Colombian Consulate on his behalf.