A 36-year-old Fenton man has been arrested for allegedly using counterfeit $10 bills at five Arnold-area businesses. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office arrested the man at about 4 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Pleasant View Motel, 4301 Jeffco Blvd., just south of Arnold, authorities reported.
A hotel employee contacted the Sheriff’s Office after the man allegedly used counterfeit money to pay for his room and was suspected of creating more counterfeit bills in the room, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.
A deputy found the man in one of the motel’s rooms, along with what appeared to be fake bills and equipment to create counterfeit money. In addition, a substance believed to be marijuana and a pipe with residue on it allegedly were found in the room, the report said.
The fake $10 bills allegedly were used throughout Arnold, with the first report of the counterfeit money being used on Feb. 20 at Goodwill, 3616 Richardson Square Drive, according to the report.
Advance Auto Parts, 3800 Jeffco Blvd., allegedly received two counterfeit bills on Feb. 20. Express Mart, 1919 Richardson Road, reportedly got a fake $10 bill on Feb. 26, and Auto Zone, 1998 Richardson Road, reported getting a fake $10 bill on Feb. 28, the report said.
On March 1, Arnold Police were called to Walgreen’s, 776 Jeffco Blvd., after employees said an elderly woman tried to pay with a counterfeit bill. The employees said the woman was told the $10 was fake, so she paid with a different $10 bill and left the store, according to the report.
Arnold Police will seek charges against the Fenton man through the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for counterfeiting, Lt. Clinton Wooldridge said.
The Sheriff’s Office will seek charges against the man for forgery, possession of forgery instruments and possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, Sheriff’s Office public information coordinator Grant Bissell said.
The bills and the tools believed to have been used to create counterfeit money were turned over to the U.S. Secret Service, which also is investigating the case, both Wooldridge and Bissell said.