CARMEL -- Monterey County Sheriff's deputies busted four Carmel Middle School students Dec. 12 for creating counterfeit bills and using them to buy food from a school lunch cart, according to sheriff's Sgt. John DiCarlo.

The four 12-year-old boys got away with their scheme for nearly one week before someone alerted the school's assistant principal, who then called police around 1:35 p.m., DiCarlo said.

The deputies confiscated two fake $10 bills, but DiCarlo said the boys made and used more fake cash, including $1, $5 and $10 bills. The deputies also seized a color printer used to make the money from one boy's Carmel home.

"(The bills) were obviously fake," he said. "They didn't seem sophisticated at all."

Still, the boys managed to purchase at least two bagels with cream cheese, juice and chocolate milk.

"They even got change back, too," DiCarlo said.

No charges have been filed but the deputies cited the boys, meaning they will have to appear in court. All of the boys live in Carmel and Carmel Valley, DiCarlo said.