Counterfeit bills found in Carthage, Watertown area in past two weeks

CARTHAGE — Funny money is floating in Jefferson County.

Village Police Chief Reevie A. Rockhill said Friday that in the past two weeks five businesses here have received counterfeit notes in $5, $10 and $20 denominations. The latest incident was Tuesday or Wednesday, he said.

He urged people to inspect closely the bills they take in, and if they have suspicions, try to obtain identities and plate numbers of vehicles driven by suspects to assist police in the investigations.

Detective Sgt. Joseph R. Donoghue of the Watertown Police Department said the notes "are not great quality," so they should not be too difficult to detect.

Counterfeits also have turned up in Watertown, he said, although he was unable to comment on the frequency of complaints.

The Syracuse office of the U.S. Secret Service has put out an alert to police agencies in the north country about the situation, Sgt. Donoghue and a state police investigator said.