A prank flier distributed around Lawrence is the latest twist in a police investigation of an alleged fencing operation at a local used-appliance store.

Fliers popped up around Lawrence in recent days stating that Lawrence police detectives “are conducting interviews posing as FBI Agents in their effort to pressure people into taking stolen property into the Yellow House Store.”

The signs give a phone number for people to call for more information – but the number actually is for the cell phone of one of the Lawrence detectives involved in the case.

The detective, Lance Flachsbarth, said he’d been getting a lot of calls related to the flier on Thursday and that he was telling callers the information on the sign was false.

Lawrence Police Department spokeswoman Kim Murphree said it would be a crime for one of the department’s officers to impersonate an FBI agent.

“There’s no truth to that piece of paper,” she said.

Guy Neighbors, one of the owners of Yellow House, said he didn’t know who printed the fliers.

On Dec. 2, Lawrence police raided the store and Neighbors’ home at 1104 Andover St. with assistance from the IRS, postal inspectors and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. At the time, Lawrence Police said it appeared to be one of the largest, most sophisticated fencing operations they’d seen.

No charges have been filed, and police say the investigation is ongoing.

“They haven’t told us anything,” Neighbors said. “They gave us back some of our stuff. Right now we’re just waiting to see.”

Last month, Neighbors and his wife, Carrie, invited the public to a party at the store as a way to thank supporters.