5 New Milford students charged in counterfeit $20 bills scam

NEW MILFORD (WABC) -- Five New Jersey high school students are facing charges after police say they made and used counterfeit money.

Counterfeit $20 bills, all with the same serial number, were discovered at a Dunkin Donuts in New Milford.

Police say teens wearing New Milford High School clothing were seen using the cash on surveillance video.

Investigators found a printer and paper, as well as uncut counterfeit cash, at one of the teen's homes.

About $1,000 in counterfeit cash was made, in all.

Two of the students are charged with passing forged bills, possession of forgery equipment and theft by deception. The others are charged with theft by deception.

Police say all were charged as juveniles and released to their parents. Their names have not been released because they are minors.

The bills were made by the five who are students at New Milford High School. They were tracked down thanks to video surveillance from both stores that showed the teens using the bills.

One 20 was also spent, so to speak, in the cafeteria at the high school.

The students were interviewed by police with their parents. And at one home, police found more fake 5's and 20's, on resume paper and the inkjet printer that was used.

("How good were these bills?") "If you look at them quickly, they were pretty good. But to anyone who is used to handling money, they would have picked it up right away. And I think that's what happened initially. When the Dunkin Donut drop person took it to the bank, the bank picked it up," said New Milford Police Chief Frank Papapietro.