On December 31st, 2025, at approximately 9:16 a.m., officers with the Washington Police Department responded to a local Dollar General after management discovered a counterfeit $50 bill had been used by an employee the day before. The officer arrives and is met with the manager who identified the fake bill. >> All right, so what's going on? >> So, the kid is here now. >> Okay. >> Two days ago, he came in to do his I-9, I hired him. He left, I scheduled him for yesterday. After he left here two days ago, he went to Germantown Hills Dollar General and Spring Bay Dollar General, was trying to use these fake 50s. My district manager sent me the picture of him and I was like, "That's the kid I just hired." So, I don't I don't really know what happened as far as like the police over there went. Um, he came in for his first shift yesterday, waited until I went on break, and then, um, went up to my cashier and had him load this $50 onto his Cash App. >> Okay. >> And so, like, I looked at the bill, I was pretty sure it was fake. My district manager came up here, she was pretty sure it was fake. Went to the bank this morning, they confirmed it's fake. >> Okay. >> So, he's here now, like, he's in there working. >> All right. >> Um, >> we'll hang out for a minute till the other officer comes and we'll go in and get him and >> As the manager stated, the same employee had been caught on camera making the same fraudulent transactions at two other Dollar General locations. Now, the investigation has expanded as investigators are left to coordinate with multiple agencies. >> Do you know if Woodford County was called on him for anything? >> know. I know they filed a police report and that's when I sent like his name >> So, it was at Germantown Hills and Spring Bay? >> Yeah, so he went to Germantown Hills first and then went to Spring Bay >> Okay. >> after that. >> Washington 28, can you check with Woodford County and see if they have charges for my suspect who supposedly did it at Dollar General in Spring Meadow in Germantown bills also. >> He was on Facebook too for doing it at a bar down on Farmington Road. >> Yeah, I saw I saw his picture like 20 minutes after he left. So, what are the freaking odds that that's the kid that I just hired? It's a federal crime, isn't it? >> Um I got to look it up. I think I think it is, but they got to do certain things for it to be federal, so >> Yeah. Yeah, so when he gave it to my cashier, my cashier put it on our counterfeit machine, and like the strip showed up, like the LED strip, UV strip, whatever. But you just feeling it, you could tell. So, the bank, they like went and actually like used a microscope and stuff. >> I got you. What bank is that? >> Uh Washington Community Bank. >> Okay. An assisting officer heads to the bank to verify the counterfeit bills first hand. There, bank employees provide additional information and show officers the counterfeit $50 bills that had been identified during multiple deposits made by the store. >> Good. What do you want to >> Um so, you guys have the the counterfeit >> We do. We have to send them to our corporate farm office in LA. >> Yeah, I figured. I didn't know if we could um get a picture or something of it. >> I have just the one if you want cuz we have three envelopes going over today for the >> Um Are they all all from them? Um I Yeah, I guess I could try to take them all. I'm not sure. >> Yeah, we only deal with that one store, but I know that our Sunnyland office had the same situation with their Dollar General. >> This one This was today's? >> This one No, this one was from on the 26th. I think this was the first set that we got. We had some on the 29th and this morning. >> Well, they were part of this one. >> You only need that one? >> Are they all >> reported the first one today. >> Well, I don't know if they were aware of all of that. >> Yeah, then they may not have been aware. >> Yeah, this one had more in it and $300 worth on that one. And this was from this morning when she came in. >> All right. Well, I appreciate your help. >> You're welcome. >> Uh hopefully this is the end of it for you. >> I hope so. >> Have a good day. >> You, too. >> Happy New Year. All right. CP, when she went on break yesterday, used the fake 50 and gave it to the other employee and said, "Here, load this to my Cash App." They also got video of him passing the 50s at Dollar General in Germantown and uh Spring Bay. >> It sounds like Peoria County wants him, too. >> He He was on Facebook. He did it at uh they had video of him doing it at one of the bars down on Farmington Road. >> And he used it here on his first day of work yesterday. So, yeah, he really was just like asking >> Is that Would you recognize that as him? Is that him or is that somebody >> That is him. He has his hat in there. >> The officers waste no more time and move inside the store to meet the employee in question. While they already have enough to confront him, the investigation is far from over as an unexpected discovery made just over a week later will raise even more questions. >> I'm just going to put him in cuffs as he walks by. >> Yeah, that's fine. >> Did you say he's got the hat with him? >> Yeah. >> Hello. >> Hey now. >> Hi. How are you? >> All right. How would Good. What's up, Michael? I need you to step down for me. Set that thing down. >> My bad. Sir, do you know you have the right to remain silent? >> I'm going to go outside and I'll tell you what it's all about. Any idea what? You got any idea? >> Coat or anything you need to grab? >> Yeah. All right, where's that at? >> In the office up here. >> Okay. >> I'm going to need to talk to them, I think. >> No, they're they're aware. They know. >> So, can I go? >> No. It's about the fake 50s that you've been passing. The fake $50 bills. >> I didn't think they were fake. >> Well, they are they are fake. >> I had one person say something and I didn't believe them cuz I mean, I've been able to get food and like >> here. You got anything that's going to poke me or stick me in your pockets? >> No. >> The officer does a quick search expecting to find some more counterfeit $50 bills and will later find out why this search yielded no results. >> You have pockets on your shirt? >> Yeah, there is one under, yeah. >> All right, let's go to this back here. All right, have a seat in there. All right. We can do that. It's our policy. to buckle up. >> Can you put it up over my shoulder? >> Let me loosen it some. That better? >> Actually, that's worse. >> Is it? >> Yeah. Trying to get my shoulder under it, too, so that I can >> You want it like up that way down that way? >> I want Well, no, I'd rather it up over my shoulder and then yeah, there >> Like this? >> Oh, yeah, no, that's good. Even better. >> I'll just do that for you. Right here? He's just suspended. Michael, how'd you get to work today? >> I got a ride. >> You got a ride? You don't drive? >> No. >> All right. He said he drove or he got a ride. I just need your signature. Right there and right there. >> Okay. >> All right, here's your guys's copy. All right, guys. You want me to tell me he's terminated, too, since he's getting this? >> Yeah. Yeah, I'd imagine. >> I He probably figures it's coming, but I'll just tell him so there's no Yep. All right. They want me to tell you you've been fired. And your term And you cannot come back on their property, okay? I'm going to put this with the rest of your stuff, okay? >> Thank you. >> What's that? >> Can you just loosen one of these? >> Which one? The cuffs? >> The left one. >> Let Turn around, let me see if I can I can still get my finger in there, so it's still good. We're going to the right to the station and then we'll probably transport you over to the hotel. All right. >> Once they get back to the station, the officer has a few questions for the ex-employee, as he's interested to know more about where these counterfeit bills came from, considering they have been flooding the area, as just one day prior to the employee depositing a fake bill, another suspect had come into the same Dollar General and deposited $200 to his Cash App account using the same counterfeit $50 bills. >> All right, so how many of these bills have you passed? >> I'm not sure. >> Not sure. I've been working for this dude. He's I mean like I've made a good amount of money from him, so >> Who's the Who's the dude? >> His name's Joe. >> Joe? >> Yeah. >> Is he in Washington or where's he at? >> No, he's in over in Peoria. >> Okay. And he just pays you with fake 50s? >> Apparently. >> All right. Do you have any more of them? >> No. >> Okay. All right, so Peoria County is coming to talk to you because apparently you sold them at a bar down on Farmington Road. >> Okay. >> And I don't know if they're going to take you with them or what, so hang out here and apparently Woodford County is going to be finding you too cuz >> Jesus. >> cuz uh you went Did you go to Dollar General a couple days ago in Spring Bay and Germantown? >> so yeah, that's where I was putting them. >> Okay. What do you do for Joe? >> Work on his cars. >> Work on his cars and he pays you with 50s? >> I've done brakes and like his headliners and >> And you don't know his last name or anything? You got a phone number for him? >> I might. >> All right, we'll get that in a second, all right? >> 10 days later, the officer on the case received a call from the manager requesting that he come back to the store as she made a discovery while cleaning her office. It seems Michael may have left behind some of his property. >> Hi. >> Hi there. >> So I was cleaning out under my desk and Michael left some I I assume he must have heard us talking about it or something cuz those were all ripped up underneath my desk. I didn't I was going to throw them away, but I didn't know if >> No, I'll take them. >> Okay. I have >> You got an envelope I can have? >> Yeah. >> Let me take a picture of them first. >> And I do have a picture of how they were just >> Okay. >> thrown under there. >> All right. Take a picture down there. >> That's all you got? >> Yep. >> All right. >> I was trying to like count how many they were. I mean, there's at least five there, but >> Right. >> Yeah. I was going to throw them away, but then I figured I probably should make sure. >> I'll take them. >> Yeah, so I mean, realistically with how the camera's set up, he can look He probably did look up here and know that if he just stuck his hands under there >> Under there. >> Yeah. >> Okay, I sent a request to you. It's going to say Axon Community Request, and just follow the instructions and upload that picture for me. >> Okay. Yeah, sounds good. >> I would appreciate it. >> The employee was charged with felony forgery after investigators alleged he knowingly used counterfeit $50 bills at multiple businesses across several counties. At the time of this video, the case remains ongoing with Michael's next court hearing scheduled for August 13th of 2026. What are your thoughts on this case? Please leave a like, subscribe, and comment your thoughts below. Thanks for watching.