HAMLET — A mother and son are facing felony charges for allegedly spreading funny money around town.
Investigators with the Hamlet Police Department say 51-year-old Veronica Ratliff and her son, 25-year-old Tyrell Shakur McCrae, both of Hamlet, used counterfeit $100 bills at a convenience store and three retail stores from March 24-27.
The two were arrested Wednesday and booked into the Richmond County Jail, each under a $5,000 secured bond, but both made bail before 8 p.m.
Ratliff is charged with three felony counts each of obtaining property by false pretenses, criminal use of a counterfeit trademark and conspiring to obtain property by false pretenses.
McCrae is facing one count each of the same charges.
According to the arrest reports, their warrants were served without incident and they both gave statements after waiving their rights.
They are scheduled to appear in court April 25.
Online records with the N.C. Court System and the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction show no other pending charges or previous criminal convictions in the state for either defendant.
Detective Capt. Randy Dover said this case is not related to one last month when David Lee Campbell, of Rockingham, allegedly exchanged a bogus Benjamin for five legitimate $20 bills at Food Lion.
Dover said Campbell’s counterfeit cash was cinematic money, with the recent case involves older-looking $100 bills.
He said businesses need to be aware that these bills passed the pen test and owners may need to look into better ways to detect fake currency.
The Secret Service, which investigates counterfeiting, has been notified, according to Dover.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
