When asked for their identification, Zica and Palanga, both 31, showed a Czech Republic ID and a Romanian passport. Cheatham County Dispatch confirmed Beard's Mississippi license was suspended. The officer could not verify Zica's and Palanga's personal information enough to check for warrants.
The officer asked Beard to speak with him in front of his patrol car, where he asked Beard who his passengers were and how he knew them. Beard identified one passenger as "Mike," whom he apparently met at a house party four months before. He reported knowing the other passenger for only a couple of weeks.
Beard insisted there was nothing illegal in the Trailblazer, and consented to a search, the report states.
The officer asked both passengers to get out of the car. One of them also stated that there was nothing illegal in the vehicle, and the other did not speak English and was not questioned, the report states.
The search yielded a "large amount" of money, a credit card terminal, two backpacks — one containing clothing and the other with two laptops — credit card skimmers, Walmart gift cards and more. Another search of the vehicle also located travel paperwork for one of the men in the vehicle and receipts for money wired overseas.
During an interview with Beard in the Cheatham County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigative Division interview room, Secret Service was notified of the incident.
Secret Service and Sheriff's Office officials determined it was necessary to seize the money, computers, all three of the men's cellphones and Beard's vehicle.
Beard also was charged with driving on a suspended license and was cited for improper display, according to the report.
All three are held in the Cheatham County Jail without bond.
Heflin encouraged the public to thoroughly inspect and be aware of point of sale systems. He also said to use a chip reader and run transactions with a credit card rather than a debit card when possible.
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Kelly Fisher, reporter for the Ashland City Times, can be reached at KPFisher@gannett.com or 615-801-3866 and on Twitter at @KellyPFisher.