Authorities are seeking assistance from the community following a series of suspected counterfeiting incidents that affected five convenience stores in southern Lawrence County and northern Alabama within a single hour. This alarming crime wave began on Wednesday, October 22, as reported by WKRN News 2. According to Saint Joseph Police Chief Adam Brewer, the first stop for the suspects was in Leoma, where they traveled south along Highway 43. However, they left the store without making any purchases after noticing a number of people gathered near the register.
The group proceeded to a convenience store in Loretto at approximately 7:52 p.m., followed by another store in the same city just 12 minutes later. Investigators tracked their movements and noted that they reached Saint Joseph around 8:14 p.m. before crossing into Alabama, where they targeted additional stores in Green Hill and Florence. Chief Brewer explained that at one of the locations, the suspects presented several $100 bills and requested the clerk to load hundreds of dollars onto mobile apps. They then attempted to exchange more cash for smaller denominations.
In each of these incidents, the counterfeiters successfully made off with hundreds of dollars. The counterfeit bills appeared authentic, as they were chemically washed $10 bills that had been reprinted to resemble $100 notes. Although the bills passed the marker test and included a security strip, a closer examination revealed a watermark featuring Alexander Hamilton instead of Benjamin Franklin. Furthermore, all the counterfeit notes had identical serial numbers, often with two or three numbers repeated across different stores. Chief Brewer pointed out that clerks frequently overlook checking serial numbers during busy transactions, which may have contributed to the success of the operation.
Surveillance footage captured the suspects traveling in what seems to be a Nissan Rogue, accompanied by two women who are believed to be part of the counterfeiting scheme. Authorities have indicated that there have been no reports of this group targeting stores in Lawrenceburg or Maury County, suggesting that their focus is on smaller, rural businesses. The Saint Joseph Police Department is urging anyone with information regarding these incidents to come forward and assist in the investigation.