Mahwah Police Arrest Union County Men Passing Counterfeit Bills at Home Depot

Two Union County men with “extensive criminal histories” were arrested in Mahwah Tuesday after allegedly using counterfeit money to purchase items from Home Depot, police said.

Mahwah police responded to the Home Depot on Route 17 Tuesday afternoon after a Ramsey detective contacted them because he believed he had located a vehicle connected to individuals responsible for forgery in Ramsey, Mahwah Police Chief James N. Batelli said. Local businesses in Mahwah and other surrounding towns have recently reported the passing of bogus bills, he said.

Officers confronted two individuals leaving the Home Depot who matched the descriptions of those involved in Ramsey incident.

An investigation by Mahwah officers and detectives determined that the individuals, Tyshon Phipps, 34, of Roselle and Edward Fish, 35, of Linden, had purchased items in the Home Depot by using what was determined to be a counterfeit $100 bill. Receipts from stores in other jurisdictions also were found in their possession.

Similar to past counterfeit schemes, the subjects would purchase relatively small value items and receive change from the counterfeit $100 or $50 bill, Batelli said.

Phipps was charged with forgery, theft and obstruction of justice after he provided false information to law enforcement officers about his true identity.

Fish was charged with forgery and conspiracy to commit forgery.

Authorities said Phipps was in possession of several counterfeit bills, which matched the serial number of counterfeit bills passed at the Home Depot and businesses in Ramsey.

The suspects also were in possession of a counterfeit detection pen that store employees use to detect counterfeit bills. “The suspects hoped the mark on the counterfeit bill would lead the store employee to believe it had already been swiped and was legitimate currency,” Chief Batelli said.

Bail for both was set at $10,000 each with no 10 percent option.

Phipps and Fish subsequently received their first appearance through the Mahwah Municipal Court and are facing additional charges in Ramsey.

Detectives are working with other agencies who have experienced similar incidents.