Police: Philadelphia man used counterfeit bills at stores in Indiana, Cambria counties
A Philadelphia man was jailed for using two counterfeit $100 bills at a Giant Eagle supermarket in Indiana County to buy flowers and other low-cost items last week, state police at Indiana said.
The suspect, Bilal Basil Butler, 23, allegedly used the fake bills to buy merchandise at the supermarket on Ben Frankilin Road South in White Township, between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., state police at Indiana said. The fake currency was discovered when a bank, which was not identified, checked the bills.
Butler was seen on video surveillance footage leaving the store without wearing a mask, police said. He was known to be driving a blue Toyota RAV4.
Butler was charged before Blairsville District Judge Robert Bell with a felony count of forgery and misdemeanor count of theft by deception.
Butler has been in the Cambria County Jail in Ebensburg since Thursday on the same forgery and theft by deception charges for another incident that occurred in Ebensburg.
Ebensburg Police Chief Terry Wyland could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
Butler is being held in lieu of $10,000 bond and faces a preliminary hearing on those charges on May 19 before District Judge Frederick Creany.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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