Police arrest man for having real $50 bill

WKYT ^ | May 1, 2012 | WKYT

[Brandonmark]

Tennessee police are apologizing after arresting a man for using a $50 bill they thought was fake but that turned out to be real.

Police in Shelbyville thought the bill was counterfeit after a convenience store clerk called them. The clerk said a marker used to detect false money didn't show the bill was real.

The Shelbyville Times-Gazette reported Officer Brock Horner arrested Lorenzo Gaspar on Friday.

But a police evidence technician told the arresting officer that some old bills don't react to the markers. So police gave the money to two banks to check, and they said it was real but just very old

[ClearCase_guy]

If I remember correctly, a couple of years ago, some Japanese guys were stopped in Italy with about a trillion dollars in counterfeit bonds.

I think the cops kept the bonds, but let the 2 guys walk away on a technicality.

Lesson: Big crimes are nothing. Little crimes are where the authorities really show you who's the boss.

[driftdiver]

The real test is how many people actually read that whole post of yours.

[lewislynn]

Even more unusual than the fact that the bills are still out there is that someone actually chooses to use them.

Cash is king.

[precisionshootist]

"Unless the person has a wallet or briefcase full of counterfeits, or a prior record of passing counterfeit currency, it would seem to make more sense to confiscate the bill, ask a few questions to see if they seem suspicious, get their name and address for potential, further investigation, and send them on their way."

What? That would be um......police work....they aren't trained for that.

I'm surprised the area wasn't put on lock-down and SWAT called out. I mean they took a heck of a chance by not calling SWAT. This guy could have had a Swiss Army Knife or a Box Cutter or maybe even a nail clipper, OMG, the horror.

[tobyhill]

In this case, cash gets you arrested.

[Gabz]

Even more unusual than the fact that the bills are still out there is that someone actually chooses to use them.

Really? I've got 3 of them in my pocket right now - I use them on a regular basis.

[lowbridge]

“But a police evidence technician told the arresting officer that some old bills don’t react to the markers”

It’s ok. It’s confederate money.

[NonValueAdded]

He should consider himself lucky that they didn’t go to his house and shoot his dog.

[12Gauge687]

Same here. After an eldery friend in Canada had his identity stolen (and his entire checking account cleaned out), I started using cash for most small purchases, allowing me to keep better track of any charges on my credit cards.

[BigCinBigD]

Good grief. Wonder who’d be breaking down my door if I used a silver certificate.

Last week I bought a pack of smokes at the local mini mart. In my change I found a 1943 Silver quarter. It’s now in my safe.

[A. Patriot]

I have read of people threatened with arrest for using $2 bills.

[Cowman]

When people are allowed to carry cash, why they can go just about anywhere and buy anything, but if you have to run your card or your tattoo through a scanner, well, the folks who run the system can track your every more and shut you down for whatever reason is politically expedient.

it is even worse than that. The income tax gives an excuse for the government to collect all sorts of personal information. They know where you work, how much you make, how much overtime you have, where you live, which bank has your mortgage, how much you have left on your mortgage, how much charitable giving you do, where you give to charity, what the charity you give to stands for, etc, etc.

Remember the Fed and the income tax were put in place at about the same time and this has been anything but a free country since then.

Freedom died in 1913.

[nathanbedford]

Too bad the incident did not occur in Arizona where the Justice Department has admonished the local police not to enforce federal law because it has been "preempted."

Or maybe states are like pigs and other animals with some being more equal and some laws more preempted.

[mikey_hates_everything]

Why are local police concerned with counterfeit money, a federal felony? Why don’t they enforce all of the other federal laws? Such as immigration?

[Brandonmark]

[Cowman]

Lesson: Big crimes are nothing. Little crimes are where the authorities really show you who's the boss.

My father spent two days in jail for driving with valid out of state temporary plates in MA.

[tnlibertarian]

The real test is how many people actually read that whole post of yours.

I'll admit it; I did. I want to tie an onion to my belt to see if it catches on again.

[ExGeeEye]

Hand raised,

head bent in shame.

[ctdonath2]

Did too!