CHILLICOTHE, OH — Chillicothe police are investigating a counterfeit currency incident after a fake $100 bill was discovered at a local bank earlier this week.
According to a report from the Chillicothe Police Department, officers were dispatched around 3:56 p.m. on January 6 to Kingston National Bank on Western Avenue after bank staff identified a suspicious $100 bill. The bank manager told officers the bill had been dropped off by a carrier associated with Southern Ohio Equipment.
The manager reported noticing irregularities when holding the bill up to the light, including what appeared to be an altered image suggesting the counterfeit may have been created using a $10 bill. Bank staff notified Southern Ohio Equipment about the suspected counterfeit prior to police arrival.
Police contacted Southern Ohio Equipment, whose representatives said they were aware of the issue and were attempting to determine how the bill entered their possession. Follow-up communication identified the source of the bill as a payment made by an individual.
That individual told police he paid Southern Ohio Equipment in cash taken from a personal safe, explaining that he has accumulated cash over several years through rental property income. He stated he was unaware the bill was counterfeit and believed it could have been in his possession for an extended period.
The counterfeit $100 bill was seized by police and logged into the Chillicothe Police Department evidence room for destruction. The investigation remains ongoing.
