Counterfeit bills turn up again in Cape Girardeau

Another counterfeit bill was passed at a Cape Girardeau retailer Friday, marking the sixth incident involving fake bills in the city in the past month.

Around 1:50 p.m. Friday, Cape Girardeau police responded to Alliance Bank where bank officials said they had received a counterfeit $20 bill from a deposit from Kidd's Oil Company, 1759 Wilson Road.

Police seized the bill and entered it into evidence, police spokesman Darin Hickey said, adding that the department is unsure whether the bill is connected to the string of other phony bills being passed in the area.

The recent batch of counterfeit bills had been passed mostly at West Park Mall. J.C. Penney accepted a counterfeit bill Oct. 20, while Finish Line, Macy's, Lids and Champs accepted counterfeit $10 and $20 bills in exchange for merchandise Oct. 5, Hickey said. Cape Girardeau police turned the bills from J.C. Penney over to the Secret Service to see if they match the other bills that were passed, Hickey said. No Cape Girardeau arrests have been made in connection to any of the counterfeit bills passed at West Park Mall.

In addition to the fake bills passed at the mall, a young man attempted to pay his water bill at Cape Girardeau City Hall with two counterfeit $20 bills Oct. 13 and said he had received the bills as change from another business in town. The man said he was paying the bill for another water customer and was not detained by police.

A deposit at Capaha Bank, 3168 William St., by a local convenience store Oct. 13 was also discovered to contain fake money.

In Poplar Bluff, Mo., two people are in custody and law enforcement officers are searching for three other people in connection with $10, $20 and $50 counterfeit bills that began turning up in area businesses Oct. 6.

Brynet Trice and Darius Robinson were arrested in connection with the counterfeit bills and face forgery charges. While interviewing with police, Trice named three co-conspirators -- Jessica Gross, 25, Terry Hester, 27, both of Poplar Bluff, and Darius Lankford, 28, of Huntsville, Ala. All three remain at large, said Poplar Bluff police chief Danny Whiteley.

Trice is due in Butler County Circuit Court Nov. 10, and Robinson is due Thursday. Both face felony forgery charges.

The bills that were passed at West Park Mall and bills passed recently in Sikeston, Mo., and Dexter, Mo., are all connected to the ones passed in Poplar Bluff, said Poplar Bluff detective Greg Brainard. The Secret Service is now investigating the counterfeiting ring with the four cities and federal indictments are forthcoming, Brainard said. As of Monday, no suspects had received a federal indictment.

psullivan@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

1759 Wilson Road, Cape Girardeau, MO.