PORTAGE, Mich. — Three people are in custody, accused of spreading counterfeit money around Kalamazoo County in multiple incidents.
The arrests were the result of a report from the Walmart in Portage on Thursday at around 9:44 p.m., where several subjects attempted to purchase items with counterfeit currency.
When police arrived, they saw a potential suspect vehicle with four people inside, but they lost sight of it. Officers then observed three suspects walking next to a business near 1800 Vanderbilt. Two men, ages 26 and 27 from Chicago, were arrested for possession of counterfeit money. The third suspect was not charged.
Police knew they were still looking for a fourth person involved. Not far from the Vanderbilt scene, a vehicle was reported stolen only a few hours later, shortly before 1:00 a.m. Police agencies put out the description, and the stolen vehicle was located in Joliet, Illinois. A 16-year-old suspect was arrested and connected to the counterfeit money investigation.
Officers say all three of the suspects match descriptions of people involved in multiple incidents around Kalamazoo County in which counterfeit money was used at local businesses.
