Six Anderson businesses handed fake money

Several Anderson businesses received counterfeit currency of $20, $50 and $100 denominations in the past week. Beyond the counterfeit $100 and $20 bills presented to an Anderson Food and Gas clerk on Dec. 15, at least five other businesses were approached with fake currency since then.

Thomas Yount, a manager at an Anderson 7-11 convenience store on North Street, said a customer approached him, warning the manager of $2,500 in counterfeit currency that someone wanted to keep safe at the customer's home. The manager did not identify the customer who approached him nor his customer's contact.

Yount had reported on Dec. 19 several youths trying to exchange fake currency. Yount did not accept the money and secured video surveillance of the subjects, he said. Also on Dec. 19, a male suspect tried to exchange a counterfeit $50 at a Chevron gas station at 2963 North St. at 11:19 a.m.

"The bill (was) not looking real to me.... The paper also seemed fake," store owner Manpreet Singh said.

A plumber in line at the counter behind the suspect called APD, Singh said.

Shortly after the suspect left the gas station, the same suspect attempted to pass a counterfeit $50 at the SARCO gas station at 2142 North St., Singh added. According to SARCO owner Taravnder Ahluwalia, the clerk, Max Walia, did not accept the bill.

Neither Walia nor Singh had seen the suspect before, who exhibited considerable paranoia and was constantly moving while talking, Walia added.

"If you (hold the counterfeit bill) and look at it, it was a horrible fake $50," Walia said.

On Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. an unidentified male passed two counterfeit $50 bills at Margo's Trading Post on East Center St., store owner Margo King said.

The Tower Mart at 3480 W. Center St. also received a fake $50 in past weeks, according to store manager Jim Finan. APD did not respond to telephone calls last week pertaining to the counterfeit currency.