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El Dorado resident face counterfeiting charges

June 24, 2010|By Kim Hynes

EL DORADO, Kan. — Three El Dorado residents face charges for making counterfeit money. The fake $100 bills have been circulating El Dorado businesses for the last six weeks. It prompted many to turn away customers with big bills.

El Dorado Police Chief Tom Boren says the fake bills were made by bleaching $5 bills. He says they printed those bills and turned them into $100. He says at a quick glance they looked real and they passed the marker test. Boren says for cashier's in a hurry to get to customers, it's not surprise they got into the cash drawer.

After receiving complaints, Boren says the used surveillance video to help narrow down suspects. Boren also called the Secret Service because they handle counterfeiting. The Secret Service got involved and conducted a search warrant at two homes in El Dorado. Boren says evidence was taken and three people were brought in for questioning. He says those three are now awaiting indictments from a grand jury.

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The counterfeits had changed the way some did business in El Dorado. While they were still being circulated, many businesses put up signs saying they wouldn't take $100 bills. Those signs have come down now because of the pending arrests.

At Bright's Retail Liquor, cashier Sherry Dotson got some new training on handling big bills. She says she now takes extra time to check each one. Dotson is relieved she hasn't come across any counterfeits because if she took one her boss wouldn't be happy. "We'd be out the money."

The police chief says he's not sure how many counterfeit bills were passed and how many businesses were impacted. But he says he's confident they've stopped the process. He expects the indictments to come down in the next few weeks.

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