Certain individuals are simply too talented at turning a small crime into something big and more punishing. In the case of one South Carolina man, he turned his few-hundred-dollar bail into another offense after he handed fake money to the judge (and rather confidently so). Of course, the judge noticed something was off with the cash, so now the offender has to pay more.
The incident occurred around mid-March in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. According to the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, 33-year-old Patrick Alexander (originally from Mississippi) was arrested over the weekend on a misdemeanor trespassing charge. Following his arrest, a judge set his bond at $250.
During a court appearance, Alexander was briefly given access to his personal belongings to retrieve money for bail. Deputies say he then pulled out a stack of cash, sorted through it, and handed over three $100 bills to the presiding judge, John Davis, reportedly adding, “keep the change.” The gesture quickly raised suspicions.
Judge Davis declined the extra money and, upon closer inspection, noticed that the bills appeared discolored. When he flipped them over, he reportedly saw Chinese characters printed on the back, an immediate red flag. A detention officer then used a counterfeit detection pen, which confirmed the bills were fake, as though the Chinese writing wasn’t enough as evidence.
And They Say Crime Doesn’t Pay
Hence, instead of securing his release, Alexander’s situation worsened. Authorities charged him with forgery, a felony offense, as well as contempt of court, a misdemeanor. His bond was subsequently increased by $6,000, a whopping 2400 percent increase from the initial $250 that he could’ve just paid with real money.
The fake currency was confiscated and logged as evidence. Alexander remains in custody at the Chesterfield County Detention Center as the new charges move forward. Officials did not indicate where the counterfeit money originated, but emphasized that attempting to use fake currency, especially in a courtroom, can carry serious legal consequences.
Funny enough, a similar incident also happened in Arkansas, where a $135 bond was paid with a fake bill stamped with “media money.” People online have since joked about the matter, due to how often it occurred this month, with one commenter saying, “That’s just as real as the paper they give us and at least its value ain’t sinking that things probably worth as much as any other USD.”
