A Rochester man has been charged with eight gross misdemeanor counts of passing counterfeit currency after police say he used it at several businesses.
Charles Edwards Redd, 23, made his first appearance Tuesday in Olmsted County District Court. He has been released in lieu of $500 bond and is due back in court Oct. 13.
The investigation began about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, when police responded to a reported series of thefts at Perkins, Burger King and Wendy's. The caller said a man — later identified as Redd — had used a counterfeit $20 bill at Perkins, then left in a red Scion.
The manager at Burger King warned the manager of Wendy's, the report says, after Redd ordered a drink and handed her a $20 bill. The woman could tell immediately the money was fake and told him so; she then told him she was going to call the police.
The Burger King manager tipped off the Wendy's manager about the attempt, but it was too late; Redd already had purchased a drink with a counterfeit bill.
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Redd also tried to pass bills at The Great Wall restaurant and Subway on 41st Street Northwest, the complaint says. Officers soon found the Scion on Marketplace Drive Northwest and initiated a traffic stop. Redd was the passenger; court documents say four $20 bills were on the floor near his feet.
Redd told officers he believes he got the counterfeit bills from selling an iPhone 6 on Craigslist and didn't know the money was fake until the manager at Burger King told him. He allegedly said he then wanted to get rid of the money, so he went to several restaurants to spend it.
Bills were recovered from Wendy's, Burger King, Caribou Coffee, Subway, Papa John's, Perkins, Dairy Queen and Taco Bell. Great Wall did not accept the counterfeit money.
Each of the counts is punishable by up to a year in jail, a $3,000 fine or both.
