Charlotte Man Arrested For Attempting To Pass Counterfeit Bills

DENVER, N.C. — Police say a man has been arrested for passing counterfeit bills, and that he attempted to use the bills in several area stores.

Dannie Ray Pope, 40, of Charlotte was arrested on two felony counts of Obtaining Property by False Pretense and one count of felonious Possession of 5+ Counterfeit Instruments.  He was placed in the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center with a $25,000 secured bond.

Reports say that on March 18, 2016, Lincoln County deputies responded to the Rite-Aid at 108 South NC 16 Business in regards to an individual who purchased two $500 gift cards with ten $100 bills that were suspected to be counterfeit.  The man was described as a white male, with a beard, navy shirt, and cargo pants, using a cane to assist with walking.

Deputies took Pope in to custody at a nearby restaurant where they recovered the gift cards and two receipts from Rite-Aid.  Detectives collected eleven $100 bills that Pope had in his possession in addition to the counterfeit money passed at Rite-Aid.  He was placed in the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center with a $25,000 secured bond.

Authorities say Pope had attempted to purchase gift cards using counterfeit money from Walgreens in Denver, but management had been alerted to the scam by stores in Belmont, Shelby, and Gastonia with the description of a man that matched Pope’s trying to buy merchandise with counterfeit bills.

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Captain Tim Johnson said, “It’s the best counterfeit money I have seen”.