SPOKANE VALLEY -- A thief is turning real money into counterfeit cash to get his hands on lottery tickets. Two convenience stores in Spokane Valley have already fallen victim to fake hundred dollar bills.
At about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 3rd, a man entered the GTX Truck Stop at 18723 E. Cataldo and used a counterfeit $100 bill to purchase scratch lottery tickets. He was described as a white man in his 50's who had a beard.
On the following Thursday, a man entered the Shell convenience store at 13823 E. Broadway and used a counterfeit $100 bill to purchase $50 in scratch lotto tickets. Wei Wu, the gas station manager, said he had a bad feeling when the suspect asked for lottery tickets. Wu says the man handed him a $100 bill. Because he looked nervous, Wu checked the bill to see if it was real. Wu even held the bill up to the light to check for the security thread. It wasn't until after the suspect was gone, he realized the bill was fake, but it used to be real.
Police say the suspect bleached a $5 bill and altered it to look like a $100 bill. They say the bills look very authentic. The Secret Service has also been called to help out with the case. Anyone with information regarding the identity of the suspect is encouraged to call Crime Check at 456-2233.
