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Highlands Today

Youth Charged With Passing Phony Money

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: August 23, 2008

AVON PARK - An alert manager at the Race Trac gas station wasn't fooled when sheriff's investigators say a Sebring youth tried to pass a phony $5 bill in early June to pay for a gallon of milk.

Franclin Hurtado, 17, of 2208 Avalon Road, Sebring, was arrested on warrants on charges of issuing a false bank bill, note, check or draft, possession of a counterfeited bank bill, check, draft or note and petty theft.

On June 6, the sheriff's office was called to the Race Trac gas station, located at 1625 U.S. 27 S., about a suspicious incident. The manager, Thomas Colicci, said at about 1:43 a.m. a male, later identified as Hurtado, came in to buy a gallon of milk and tried to pay with a counterfeit $5 bill.

After telling the suspect the bill was a fake, the manager said he grabbed the milk and walked out the door.

Deputy Charles D. Proctor reported he learned of a similar case the Sebring Police Department was working that happened at the Sebring Wal-Mart and was being investigated by Det. Larry Carmody of the Sebring police.

Carmody said Friday that he is still investigating the Wal-Mart case and with a little more work is preparing to present it to the state attorney's office.

In that case, at 2:15 a.m. June 8, a male suspect walked into Wal-Mart and walked around the store. A surveillance camera showed him approaching the counter with another male.

The suspect handed the cashier the counterfeit money to pay for his items. The cashier told them the bill was a fake, so the suspect who handed the fake bill paid for the items with real money.

Both males repeatedly told the cashier to give them back the $5, the report stated. But the cashier refused.

The cashier placed the counterfeit bill next to the register and picked up the telephone as if he was trying to call the manager.

One of the suspects grabbed the bill and they headed for the door. One suspect removed the license tag so it could not be read. They got into a large pickup truck and drove off.

Carmody said Friday from viewing the video it appeared to be the same individual who had passed a fake bill at Race Trac. The other individual appears to be a relative from Miami, he said.

Some words of caution for people taking change from others?

"When in doubt, check the money out," Carmody said.

On July 23, Carmody called Proctor to tell him he had identified a suspect in his case and named Hurtado.

On Aug. 11, Proctor contacted the Race Trac manager, Colicci, who added that he repeatedly told the suspect the bill was a fake. The suspect kept insisting it was a new bill, but after some arguing suddenly began acting as if he could not speak or understand English.

He left the store and got into a large gold-colored pickup truck, the report stated. The driver backed the truck away from the store so the manager could not read the license plate, the report stated.

Proctor contacted Hurtado on July 24 to ask some questions about the counterfeit money at the Race Trac station. He showed him a photograph taken from the video surveillance to which Hurtado said "That's me," the report stated, but he denied buying any milk from the store.

He was shown the surveillance film which reportedly shows him going to the cooler and selecting the milk. He denied knowing the money was counterfeit. He was reminded the store manager told him it was a fake. He had no excuse for reportedly taking the milk without paying for it with real money.

Hurtado reportedly later told Proctor he couldn't remember the milk incident at Race Trac.

When shown the video surveillance tape from the store, he stated, "He was under the influence of 'marijuana' during the incident at the Race Trac and does not recall the incident," Proctor wrote in his report.

Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

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