If you don't already have enough problems already, it looks like you may need to sharpen up your cash folding money identification skills before you wind up on the losing end of the Law enforcement Officer taking the counterfeit bill or bills from you.

Counterfeit Bills Spread in Local Businesses
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Suspect Caught on Tape

On Wednesday, March 25, at 5:32 p.m., Officer Spencer with the Giddings Police Department was dispatched to Dollar General in reference to the business receiving counterfeit currency.

Angelica Perez reported that she had received a $50 bill that she believed to be counterfeit. Perez provided the officer with the counterfeit bill which upon examination, Spencer observed that the water mark indicated that it was a $5 bill. The currency was taken as evidence. Perez also provided a video which showed the suspect passing the counterfeit currency. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, 35 – 40 years old, with a short hair cut described as a “flat-top.”

Later that evening, at about 6:28, Dollar General called the police again. Officers observed on the video another person passed a counterfeit $20 bill. While responding to the second call, Dollar General called back a third time and stated that a female was currently in the store trying to pass another counterfeit $20 bill.

Upon arrival to the store, Spencer determined that the female in the store had just left McDonalds after paying for her food in which she had received the $20 as change for her purchase. Her counterfeit $20 was seized.

Angelica Perez reported that prior to the female coming into Dollar General, a male subject had been in the store and paid for merchandise with a counterfeit $20 bill. The counterfeit money was seized. The next day, March 26, at approximately 10:36 a.m., Detective Corporal Lacey Carvin was dispatched to Classic Bank, located at 825 E. Austin, in reference to a counterfeit bill. Upon arrival, Carvin spoke with employees who stated that they had received a $50 counterfeit bill in a deposit from Valero from the previous business day. Carvin inspected the bill and observed that it was originally a $5 bill that had been bleached and reprinted with $50 bill graphics. The bill contained the thread which bears “USA FIVE” and the Abraham Lincoln watermark, confirming that it was originally a $5 bill. The serial number on the bill, ID09262911A, matched the serial number of a $50 counterfeit bill that was passed at Dollar General the night before.

Carvin took the bill from Classic Bank as evidence and was notified of another $50 bill at First National Bank. Carvin spoke with employees at First National who advised that they had received a $50 bill from the McDonalds deposit from the previous business day. The bill received from McDonalds had also been bleached, but displayed a serial number of ID21766583A. The bill was taken as evidence.

Carvin then contacted the Secret Service and spoke with Agent Kyle Smith who advised that there were other bills passed in League City, Livingston, Houston and Crosby for a total of six passes, not including Giddings, which displayed the same serial number as the bill passed at Valero.

Carvin provided Agent Smith with the serial number of the counterfeit $20 bills recovered from Dollar General the night before and he advised that there was no history of those series of numbers. There has been a reported eight passes of bills displaying the same serial number as the one passed at Valero.

Carvin was able to obtain a copy of the surveillance from Valero when the counterfeit bill was passed. The video showed at approximately 11:45 p.m. on March 25, a Hispanic male entered the store and purchased a quart of oil and paid with the counterfeit $50 bill. The male suspect appeared to be approximately 5’9” – 6’ tall, approximately 240 lbs with a large belly and a very short haircut. The suspect was wearing denim jeans, white shoes and a cream colored short sleeved t-shirt with black graphics on the front and back.

Carvin spoke with the store clerk who waited on the suspect and he advised that the suspect was traveling in a vehicle, but he was unable to obtain a vehicle description because the suspect had parked behind the dumpster. The same suspect was captured on the surveillance video at Dollar General passing the twin $50 bill at on the same date.

Carvin contacted McDonalds and requested a copy of their video. Carvin also contacted Wal-Mart and spoke with the manager who advised that they had also received a counterfeit $20 bill the day before, but she was just notified and would contact the PD when she received further information. Carvin contacted area businesses, Buc-ee’s and Cellular One, and provided them with the suspect information and information on the counterfeit bills. A law enforcement bulletin was sent to area contacts regarding the information that had been obtained to this point. The case is active and still under investigation.