A New York man was jailed after Pennsylvania State Police alleged he attempted to use counterfeit cash during a transaction at a Dollar General in Schuylkill County.
Counterfeit Bills Reported at Dollar General
Omar Christopher Bolgrove, 27, of Jamaica, New York, is charged with felony forgery—uttering forged writing, along with misdemeanor counts of theft by deception and false identification to law enforcement.
According to a criminal complaint filed by Pennsylvania State Police at Schuylkill Haven, troopers were dispatched around 11:46 a.m. Sunday, , to the Dollar General at 6116 Cressona Mall Road in North Manheim Township.
Police said a man entered the store and asked to add money to a Chime card. After inserting the card into the register’s electronic PIN pad, he allegedly handed an employee six $20 bills and two $5 bills.
The employee checked the bills with a counterfeit-detection marker and determined that all six $20 bills were counterfeit, according to the affidavit. Police said the employee returned the two genuine $5 bills but retained the suspected counterfeit currency, refusing the man’s request to return it.
Police Track Rented Audi to Berks County
The man then left the store and entered a white Audi A6 sedan. A store security associate followed him outside and photographed the vehicle, which reportedly carried Connecticut registration and left the Cressona Mall area toward Route 61.
Investigators identified the Audi’s owner, who told police the vehicle had been rented to a woman through the Turo car-sharing service. The owner also provided tracking information showing the vehicle entering the parking lot of The Home Depot on Crossing Drive in Wyomissing, Berks County, the affidavit states.
Wyomissing Police located the Audi and conducted a traffic stop. Three people were detained inside the vehicle.
One man identified himself as Chase Samuels, but police said a photograph from the traffic stop matched the person seen in the Dollar General surveillance footage.
The man was taken into custody and later transported to the Pennsylvania State Police barracks at Schuylkill Haven for processing. Police said fingerprinting identified him as Bolgrove and revealed an active warrant from Luzerne County.
Charges, Bail and Preliminary Hearing
According to the affidavit, Bolgrove allegedly admitted using the money but claimed he had received it from a man in Connecticut. He reportedly told investigators he did not know the person’s name or contact information.
Bolkrove was arraigned before on-call Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli, who set monetary bail at $75,000. Court records show he was committed to Schuylkill County Prison after he was unable to post bail.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, , before Magisterial District Judge Casimir T. Kosciolek in Orwigsburg.
The charges are allegations. Bolgrove is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.