Three Men Bought Gift Cards With Counterfeit Bills: Police

Three men from Brooklyn were arrested early Wednesday morning and charged with buying gift cards with counterfeit bills.

According to detectives, police received a call to the CVS located at 2250 Seaman Neck Road in Bellmore for three men leaving the store with the gift cards they bought with counterfeit money. When police arrived, they saw three men matching the description sitting inside a parked 2013 BMW outside the store.

Police say that an investigation showed that the three men — Leon Samuels, 23, of East 53rd Street, Ackeem Samuels, 22, of Linden Boulevard, and Akeim Sturkey, 26, of East 52nd Street — were in possession of multiple counterfeit $50 and $100 bills. Police say they had used the money to purchase merchandise and gift cards. All three were arrested without incident.

Akeem Samuels is charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and two counts of first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. Leon Samuels and Akeim Sturkey are both charged with fourth-degree grand larceny and first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. All three are scheduled to be arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Thursday.

Photo: Shutterstock