SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – A woman and her adult daughter were arrested Friday for investigation of felony fraud in the writing of thousands of dollars in bad checks across Utah during the past year. A second adult daughter also is being sought.

Syracuse Sgt. Mark Sessions said RaeLynn Courmier, 57, and her daughter, Alma Frazier, 33, were arrested in Magna, less than two hours after police held a news conference about the investigation. Felony fraud warrants also have been issued for another daughter of Courmier’s – RoseLynn Ellis, 35, who is believed to be in Maine, he said.

Police said Courmier and her two daughters are suspected of cashing more than $100,000 in bad checks since January. But the rate of the check-writing spree escalated during the past three months, with up to 20 bad checks, totaling as much as $2,000, being written daily.

Police said the checks were homemade with false bank routing numbers and account information. The checks typically were used to buy gasoline, groceries and household goods at small businesses, with an extra amount added to the total for cash back, police said.

“It doesn’t alert the clerk, because it’s usually for such small amounts – $50 or maybe $75 dollars,” Sessions said. The checks usually were passed during busy times, when store clerks wouldn’t have as much time to confirm identities or bank information.

The women usually used their legal names on the checks, although there are a number of suspected aliases, Sessions said.

All three have served prison time for fraud, and unrelated warrants involving forgery, fraud, drugs and prostitution are pending against the daughters, Sessions said.

The women are suspected of cashing bad checks from Preston, Idaho, to southern Utah for nearly a year.

Law enforcement agencies from 27 communities are involved in the investigation, along with the Utah attorney general’s office.

Sessions said the women were last believed to be living in the Murray area.