Phoney money suspect nabbed by NJ mall security www,.privateofficer.com

 

Livingston NJ Aug 28 2011 If an earthquake, hurricane and fire – all in one week – was not enough, Livingston Police arrested a shopper trying to pass off $100 counterfeit bills at the Livingston Mall.

The phony bills were $5 bills that had been washed and reprinted for $100s, a common scheme, said Detective Sgt. Anthony Dippold. Because they use the paper from real money, the counterfeits can be hard to detect. “In my opinion, these were very well made,” Dippold said.

Police arrested Taqoyia Davis, 18, of Orange. She was charged with uttering a false document (under the forgery statute), possession of stolen property, and theft by deception.

According to the police report, Davis allegedly used three fake $100 bills on Thursday at two stores in the mall before she was confronted by mall security, Dippold said. They were tipped off after clerks at two other retailers refused to accept the money.

The Secret Service is part of a continuing investigation of the phony money, Dippold said, and the case was referred to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.