Dalton Police Make Counterfeit Bust, Urges Retailers to Be Wary

The Dalton Police Department arrested 29-year-old Angel Wilfred Leguisamon-Pena on March 5th on charges of forgery after he attempted to pass a counterfeit $100 bill at an area retailer. If not for an alert cashier, police say it is likely he would have gotten away with the crime. he is suspected in at least 11 other times at retail stores around the I-75 corridor between Florida and Northwest Georgia.

A Dalton police spokesperson siad the afternoon of March 5th, Mr. Leguisamon-Pena tried to pay for a pair of shoes at Journey’s in Walnut Square Mall with a fake $100 bill. However, the clerk marked the bill with the special pen used to authenticate bills, and she held the bill up to the light to check the watermark and security strip. She saw that the security strip showed the bill was actually a $5 bill, and the watermark showed Abraham Lincoln’s face.

Leguisamon-Pena apologized and tried to pay with real $20 bills, but not before police officers arrived.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for his car, and discovered $10,100 worth of counterfeit $100 bills, along with bags of merchandise from at least 11 other retailers from other cities like Calhoun and Stockbridge which receipts showed were paid for with $100 bills. After investigating the receipts, investigators found that he pocketed nearly $1,500 in change from these transactions in addition to the merchandise purchased.

Leguisamon-Pena was charged with one count of first-degree forgery for attempting to pass the fake $100, and also 100 counts of second-degree forgery for possession of counterfeit bills.

While this is the largest bust the DPD has made, more counterfeit bills have been appearing in the area. Counterfeiters appear to wash the ink off of $5 bills and then re-print them in other denominations. This way, the bills appear to be genuine because they are printed on legal stock. However, if retailers check the security strip and watermarks in the light, they can still be spotted as fakes. The Dalton Police Department urges retailers to train their employees to beware and take the time to check bills. If you suspect a customer is attempting to pass a counterfeit bill, contact the Dalton Police Department by dialing 911.