BLACKSTONE, Va. -- Detectives in Blackstone are looking for three people who they said have been spending fake $100 bills in local businesses.
They say the bills were found in six businesses yesterday.
One of the suspects can be seen handing over the phony bill on surveillance video.
"To hit so many businesses in such a short time is unusual,” said Mary Hayslett, who has been greeting customers at Wilburn's convenience store for 17 years.
She said the town is abuzz after criminals who think they've hit the lottery target, with at least a half dozen businesses passing phony 100 dollar bills.
Jimmy Embry's store was one. He's now hoping this video of the suspected criminals will help detectives find them.
With Nottoway Sheriff's permission he gave CBS 6 an exclusive look at the video that shows two men getting out of small gray car, another passenger stays inside.
"The man get out of the car he's actually the one who gave me the bill; he’s not looking nervous – calm and collected,” Embry said.
Once inside, the driver pays for $30 worth of gas, a drink and an e- cigarette and after paying with a $100 bill they make off with bonus cash.
The owner said he thought the bill felt a little odd to the touch, but the bill passed the pen test and displayed other security features, so he just chalked it up to being a brand new bill.
“Right now you just saw where I’m testing the bill with the pen,” Embry said. “You’ll see that I’m going to actually hold it up to the light to look for watermark.”
“It’s s slightly larger; the width was fine, the length off a little bit,” he said.
“Even when Sheriff Parrish and I looked at it, and he said it's probably one of the best 100 dollars he's ever seen."
Now the sheriff and Embry are hoping someone sees this video and recognize the men who are making off like bandits by passing the fake money.
A few auto parts stores, a Walmart, a drug store and a few other businesses were given the fake $100 bills. Nottoway's Sheriff says anyone with information about the crime should contact them at 434-645-9044.
