Counterfeit money reported; other recent police reports

Counterfeit money has been reported in circulation by multiple businesses in Bainbridge during the past week, according to Bainbridge Public Safety incident reports.

On Monday morning, Bainbridge Public Safety Officer Chris Avery talked with a local bank employee who said she had found three counterfeit ten-dollar bills among the money that was deposited in the overnight drop box. The bills were in deposits made by two different businesses and all three of them had the same serial number.

“These were very good copies, they looked like the real deal,” BPS Investigator Ryan Deen said.

Deen said his suggestions to business owners and employees would be to get a special counterfeit-detecting marker pen and use it on large denominations or any bills they are suspicious about. Another way to detect counterfeits is to compare the suspicious bill with other bills of the same denomination, to look for any differences. In this case, the colored microfibers woven into real currency were missing from the fake bills.

Also on Monday morning, a citizen came to Bainbridge Public Safety headquarters to report that she received a counterfeit ten-dollar bill as change from a local business. The citizen didn’t realize the bill was counterfeit until she tried to use the ten-dollar bill at another business. BPS Investigator Chip Nix examined the bill and it had the same serial number as the three counterfeit bills found in the bank deposits.

If you suspect that you have received counterfeit money, you can call Bainbridge Public Safety at (229) 248-2038.

One of the easiest ways to check if a bill is counterfeit is to feel the paper it is printed on. Real U.S. currency is printed on a very distinctive paper that is only used by the government. There are also several security features embedded into currency of various denominations, such as colored strips, holograms and tiny letters or numbers printed on the bill.

How to Detect Counterfeit US Money (wikiHow)

Teen arrested after allegedly helping two other youth shoplift

On Saturday, May 31, at 11:22 p.m., BPS Officer Seth Stroup responded to Wal-Mart in reference to shoplifters who were not in custody. Store employees told Officer Stroup the suspects, two teenage boys and a girl, ran out of the store after being confronted about putting merchandise inside of book bags.

Soon after Stroup arrived, he witnessed a teen, later identified as 18-year-old Anthony D. Cosby of Bainbridge, jump over a chain-link fence between Wal-Mart and the U.S. 27/84 bypass. Stroup located Cosby hiding in brush on the other side of the fence and took him into custody. Another teen was brought to BPS headquarters later by his mother. Stroup noticed that the second teen had a bad cut on his hand, which he apparently got while trying to flee from Wal-Mart earlier.

After reviewing Wal-Mart security video footage, which showed the three youth putting merchandise in back packs, Stroup placed Cosby under arrest for shoplifting, while the boy who cut his hand was released to his mother to seek medical treatment.

Other recent incidents reported by Bainbridge Public Safety:

• On Sunday, June 1, a Bainbridge woman reported she had accidentally forgot her purse in a shopping buggy at a local grocery store several days before. She later discovered that her credit/debit cards had been used without her permission at gas stations in Bainbridge and Donalsonville.
• On Sunday, June 1, a resident of N. Lamar Street reported that sometime between 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, someone came into the home and took two video game systems. After BPS officers talked to a few neighbors, the complainant reported that one of the video game systems was returned.
• On Monday, June 2, a resident of the 1000 block of Sharpe Street reported that someone had taken several items, including medicine, from her parked vehicle.
• On Tuesday, June 3, a resident of the 1400 block of Hall Street reported that someone had vandalized his boat, knocked over an outdoor table and flower pots, and left a water hose turned on and running. BPS officers said they would attempt to talk with a person the resident had suspected of causing the property damage.
• On Tuesday, June 3, a resident of the 400 block of E. College Street reported two bicycles were taken from outside her home.

Sheriff’s Office reports

Recent incidents reported by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office:

• ON JUNE 3, 2014 A CITY OF BAINBRIDGE EMPLOYEE REPORTED SOME ITEMS HAD BEEN STOLEN OFF A TRACTOR. THE PARTS STOLEN WERE THE STARTER, THE COIL, AND THE DISTRIBUTOR.

• ON JUNE 3, 2014 DEPT. LONG AND INV. ROBERTS RESP0ONDED TO MEMORIAL HOSPITAL REGARDING A REPORT OF CHILD MOLESTATION. THE CASE WAS TURNED OVER TO INV. ROBERTS AND INV. DAVIDSON. 

• ON JUNE 3, 2014 DEPT. MOBLEY RESPONDED TO A RESIDENCE ON OLD PELHAM RD IN REFERENCE TO A STOLEN AIR CONDITIONING WINDOW UNIT. MR. THOMAS STATES TWO WINDOW UNITS WERE STOLEN. DEPT. MOBLEY WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE ANY EVIDENCE LEFT BEHIND.

• ON JUNE 2, 2014 SGT. WILLIAMSON RESPONDED TO A RESIDENCE ON FLINT RIVER HEIGHTS ROAD IN REFERENCE TO AN ATTEMPTED BURGLARY.  CASE TURNED OVER TO C.I.D.

• ON MAY 30, 2014, DEP. SAM HUGHES RESPONDED TO A RESIDENCE ON DAY ROAD IN REFERENCE TO A THEFT OF AN A/C UNIT.  CASE TURNED OVER TO INV. KEN DAVIDSON.