Phony Money Used in Craigslist Buys in Southeast Michigan: Police

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METRO DETROIT, MI – Two men who allegedly robbed an Orion Township man after trying to buy a computer he advertised on Craigslist with counterfeit money have been implicated in similar crimes in other southeast Michigan communities, authorities said Friday.

The primary suspect, Anthony Lamar Henderson, 22, of Detroit, was arraigned in 52-3 District Court on charges of uttering and publishing counterfeit bank bills, a five year felony, and larceny by false pretense, a one-year misdemeanor, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Judge Nancy Carniak set Henderson’s bond at $50,000 cash. The second suspect, a 21-year-old man from Detroit, was released pending further investigation.

The sheriff’s office said an investigation that included authorities in Harper Woods, Pontiac and Livonia revealed that Henderson allegedly has a pattern of locating items on Craigslist, setting up meetings with the seller in non-public locations, and then using counterfeit $100 and $50 bills to pay for items.

“The suspect would add actual authentic smaller U.S. currency in the transaction to further the victim’s confidence in the scam,” the sheriff’s office said. “The items he sought out were mainly electronics and other items to his personal liking.”

Henderson allegedly used three counterfeit $100 bills to buy an Xbox gaming system, according to Oakland County sheriff’s deputies at the Orion Township and city of Pontiac substation. Detectives are also working with the Livonia Police Department on a similar case involving an Xbox transaction, and Harper Woods police allege he used $300 in phony money to buy a pair of Air Jordan sneakers, according to the statement.

In the Orion Township case, the 18-year-old victim said Henderson and the other suspect showed up at his residence about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday to buy the Macbook computer he had advertised on Craigslist. The victim said that when he called them out on the counterfeit money, one of the suspects pointed a handgun out him.

The sheriff’s office said Henderson denied he had pointed a gun at the victim, and investigators failed to find a handgun during their investigation.

Henderson and the other suspect were arrested in Auburn Hills after an all-pointes bulletin was issued late Tuesday night.

The sheriff’s office said the incidents illustrate the importance of conducting Craigslist transactions during daylight hours and in areas with video surveillance systems, such as police station and sheriff’s office lobbies and parking lots, or Secretary of State Offices during normal business hours.

“If the other party refuses to meet at this type of location, this should be taken that the transaction is suspicious and should be avoided,” the sheriff’s office said.