Fake cash continues to plague Staunton stores

STAUNTON – More businesses in Staunton reported receiving counterfeit cash last week, and police have now taken eight reports involving bogus bills at five different locations.

Almost all of the incidents involved fake $50 bills, Staunton police said.

On Tuesday, the police department reported the Royal Mart on Spring Hill Road was victimized Jan. 14 and again on Sunday. Both incidents involved a customer passing a bogus $50 bill.

Just up the road, the Shell gas station on Churchville Avenue also reported it received counterfeit $50 bills on the same days as the Royal Mart, police said.

Officer Jennifer Stevens, a spokeswoman for the Staunton Police Department, said based on reports, "It appears (businesses) are noticing after-the-fact."

The United States Secret Service, which handles counterfeit cases, has been notified, Stevens said.

The first report of counterfeit money being passed surfaced Jan. 5 at the Shell gas station on Greenville Avenue when it accepted a fake $20 bill, according to a police report.

Three days later on Jan. 8, the Jiffee Mart on Grubert Avenue took in a bogus $50 bill, police said.

On Friday, police received two more reports of counterfeit money being passed. Young True Value Hardware on North Central Avenue reported it received a bogus $50 bill last week, and the Jiffee Mart was victimized a second time on Thursday, police said.

No arrests have been made.