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Fake money prank in New London

Police caution businesses

By Scott BellileNew London police told local businesses to beware of phony $100 bills this week after a practical joke at St. Patrick’s Day festivities put fake money into locals’ hands.

A subject dropped fake $100 bills in the city to see what people would do with them on Saturday, March 19, New London Police Chief Jeff Schlueter said. The bills are labeled “motion picture use only” on the front and back.

“As soon as you touch it you know it’s fake,” Schlueter said about the bill’s atypical texture.

The police informed the New London Area Chamber of Commerce, which sent out an email to its subscribers on Monday, March 21.

“We want to make sure that if people try to cash them that they’re alerted on time,” Schlueter explained to the police and fire commission at a meeting that evening. “We don’t know if there’s one of these out [there] or 10.”

As of Monday night the police had obtained three bills, all of which Schlueter said were turned in by a bartender at Easy Street Bar & Grill on Saturday night.

For now the joke doesn’t appear to violate the law, Schlueter said, but he’s uncertain if that could change. Citizens who come across a “motion picture use only” bill are asked to call the police at 920-982-8505.

Schlueter described New London’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities from a police standpoint as “a pretty good day” overall.

He said the number of incidents doubled from a typical day. An incident list states New London police responded to 10 calls related to fights or disturbances between 10:48 a.m. on Saturday and 3:20 a.m. Sunday. None of them were life-threatening, he said.

Schlueter didn’t have the number of local cases Wisconsin State Patrol dealt with, but he was aware of a couple OWI arrests. There was also a hit-and-run at Kwik Trip North.

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