CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Deputies arrested a man who they say passed counterfeit $100 bills at two stores in the Orange Park mall last week and tried to dupe employees at two other mall shops, the Clay County Sheriff's Office announced Tuesday.
Charles Coriaty, 24, of Spring Hill, was charged with a felony.
"It's quick and it's easy. And people are making counterfeit bills of the laptop computers. If they have a scanner, a laptop and a printer, it can be done," said Gil Smith, News4Jax crime and safety analyst.
Investigators said Coriaty tried using a counterfeit $100 bill at Spencer's and f.y.e., but employees at both stores rejected the money.
Coriarty then went to Rue 21 to purchase sunglasses, receiving $93 back in change, and stopped last at Bath and Body Works, where he bought lotion, getting back $83 in change, deputies said.
According to the arrest report, when employees at two of the four stores asked him why the money felt funny, Coriaty told them, "My girlfriend must have washed it."
"The goal of criminals, like this suspect, is to convince store personnel to accept the fake bill for the purchase of inexpensive items so real money can be obtained as change," the Sheriff's Office said.
Smith said these are examples of why merchants must invest in ultraviolet lights.
"That way, if you hold, say a $5 bill, up to ultraviolet light, it will have a blue glow to it. And a $10 bill will have an orange glow. And a $20 bill will have a green glow to it. And a $100 bill will have a red glow," Smith said.
Smith said it's also a good idea to check the bill for a hologram and to make sure the denomination is written out.
"The burden falls on the merchant. They suffer the loss. They need to call police and they'll take the dollar bill and will turn it over to Secret Service. But the person giving the money suffers the loss," Smith said.
While multiple stores in the Orange Park area are already aware of what happened, there may be others that are not.
If any other businesses have received counterfeit currency from this suspect or any other, contact Detective Warren Adams with CCSO at 904-264-6512.