More counterfeit bills discovered in Cape Girardeau

By Patrick T. Sullivan

Southeast Missourian

Another Cape Girardeau business has accepted counterfeit money, but police are unsure whether the bills are connected to the other fake currency that has been passed in the region in recent weeks.

J.C. Penney became the latest Southeast Missouri retailer -- and the fifth at West Park Mall -- to receive fake bills in the past two weeks. Around 11 a.m. Tuesday, the store's loss prevention employee contacted Cape Girardeau police to report fake $20 bills had been passed a few days before, police spokesman Darin Hickey said.

Finish Line, Macy's, Lids and Champs accepted counterfeit $10 and $20 bills in exchange for merchandise Oct. 5, Hickey said. Cape Girardeau police have 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.

"We have no idea of a link between these bills and the other bills passed recently," Hickey said. "The bills will have to be looked at by investigators."

The fake bills have not been isolated to the mall.

On Oct. 13, a young man attempted to pay his water bill at Cape Girardeau City Hall with two counterfeit $20 bills 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.

The bills that were passed at West Park Mall two weeks ago 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.

The Secret Service could not be immediately reached for comment.

The bills passed in Poplar Bluff were poorly made and could be easily identified as fake, Brainard said. The bills were not necessarily passed because of cashier negligence, Brainard said.

"Sometimes these things are overlooked," he said. "Cashiers get a lot of customers and a lot of money to handle. I don't know what protocol is at these stores. I'm not sure if they check all bills or just big bills."

Real money is printed on a special durable paper that is a blend of linen and cotton. Tiny red and blue fibers are embedded in the paper. Since 1996, bills of $5 and higher contain a number of security features, such as a security thread, a watermark that is not printable by a copier or scanner, fine line patterns and color-shifting ink. The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing provides extensive guidelines about money security at www.moneyfactory.gov.

To determine whether bills are counterfeit, cashiers should look to see if the print is squarely on the bill, check for watermarks and closely examine the color of the bill, Hickey said.

psullivan@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

3049 William St., Cape Girardeau, MO.

Poplar Bluff, MO