Suspect Accused of Shooting Ferndale Man Faces Phony Money Charges

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BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI – A Bloomfield Township resident who sold an iPhone over Craigslist got a bundle of phony cash from the buyer, police said.

Similar incidents have occurred in Ferndale, Clawson and Southfield, Bloomfield Township Det. Sgt. James Gallagher said in a news release. In Ferndale, the man who sold the iPhone was shot twice in the head, Gallagher said.

Somate has been returned to Oakland County, where he was arraigned Tuesday in 48th District Court on Bloomfield Township charges of uttering and publishing, a five-year felony. Judge Marc Barron set bond at $100,000.

The Bloomfield Township victim discovered the $700 he received for the iPhone was counterfeit when he went to a nearby bank to deposit the cash on Nov. 13.

Gallagher said the incident serves as a reminder to residents “to use extreme caution when conducting any kind of financial transaction with a stranger.” Residents are encouraged to conduct such transactions in the police department lobby or parking lot.

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