Phony money caught in city
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, February 8, 2000
Local and federal investigators are still searching for clues that will lead to the source of counterfeit money in the city.
Tuesday, February 08, 2000
Local and federal investigators are still searching for clues that will lead to the source of counterfeit money in the city.
At about 11 a.m. Monday, Ironton Police Department received a report from CVS Pharmacy, 518 S. Third St., Detective Capt. Chris Bowman said.
"The store’s assistant manager contacted the Ironton Police Department with a report of a counterfeit $100 bill being passed at the store," Bowman said. "The clerk received the bill and called the manager’s attention to it."
Although this is the first reported incident of counterfeiting this year, in 1999, the city received more than four reports of counterfeit money – some believed to have been made on a home computer and other bills believed to have come from other regions.
"We contacted the office of the United States Secret Service of Cincinnati to report this incident," Bowman said, adding that such action is standard procedure.
Officers took the money into police custody as evidence and proceeded with the investigation, he said.
Apparently, a man had entered CVS Pharmacy to break the $100 bill for change for another local store that could not give change for $100, according to IPD reports.
"It remains unclear at this time where the bill originated from," Bowman added. "We are pursuing all leads at this time."
In addition, officers are working to establish whether or not Monday’s incident is connected to last year’s counterfeiting incidents, Bowman said.
"We are not ruling out that the incidents from last year could be connected to those of this year," Bowman said. "The case is still under investigation at this time."
While investigators continue to look at every possibility, Bowman said local information could be the missing piece of the puzzle.
"We ask that anyone with any information relating to this case contact the IPD at 532-2338," he said.
Any information received by the department can be kept confidential.