Two Chicago men suspected of passing counterfeit currency in Dyer and St. John have entered guilty pleas in U.S. District Court.
On Wednesday, Harold K. Jones, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of passing counterfeit U.S. currency, and his co-defendant, Christopher Pierce, 23, pleaded guilty to the same charge on Aug. 10, court documents stated.
On May 5, Pierce and Jones traveled to Northwest Indiana where they allegedly made purchases using counterfeit bills at Dairy Queen in St. John and Dyer, McDonald’s in St. John and Subway in Dyer. St. John police reported that officers responded to a call of a person who attempted to make a purchase using a counterfeit bill at Dairy Queen, 9469 Wicker Ave., who had fled the scene.
Officer Ronald Olson soon pulled over a vehicle matching the description the employee provided, identifying the driver as Pierce and the passenger as Jones, and the suspects matched the description the employee provided, court documents stated.
In the trunk of their car police located a large duffel bag containing suspected counterfeiting equipment and false currency, according to court documents.
Jones and Pierce face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.