LACEY – Four Brooklyn residents were arrested after using counterfeit bills to make multiple purchases around the township.
Omari J. Kiser, 19, Khalil T. Montez, 23, Sharnon Henry, 25, and Quayshaun L. McKinnonsmith, 26, were arrested Jan. 2 and charged with theft by deception, forgery, conspiracy, and possession of CDS.
McKinnonsmith was also charged with careless driving and CDS in a motor vehicle.
All four were taken to Ocean County Jail.
Lacey Township Police Officer Daniel Ricciardella responded to call from Lacey Shell in Forked River for a report of fraud and theft involving a $100 counterfeit bill. A gas station employee said the bill had been used to purchase fuel. The officer called in a vehicle description over the radio.
In the meantime, Officer Michael Hein responded to an unrelated call at The Home Depot, where he saw the vehicle and occupants described by Ricciardella. Hein, along with Officers Randolph Plis and Darrell Nick stopped that vehicle.
Other local businesses—Medicine To Go, the UPS Store, and Hand and Stone—made calls to report $100 counterfeit bills were used at their establishments. All three gave similar descriptions of the alleged fraudsters.
Police reportedly found several other $100 counterfeit bills, and items purchased from those stores, inside that stopped vehicle.
This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Lacey Township Police Department Detective Bureau at 609-693-6636 or leave a tip at laceypd.org.
