4th Grade Boy Tries To Buy School Lunch With Fake $20 Bill

[matcom]

<snip>

GARY, Ind. --A cafeteria worker thought it was odd that a fourth-grader would pay for his lunch with a $20 bill. The cashier at Marquette Elementary School also noticed that the texture of the paper wasn't right. The cashier alerted the school's police officer, Patrolman Greg Tatum, who asked the 10-year-old about the money.

"He reached into his front pocket and pulled out more," Tatum said.

The discovery led to the arrest of three fourth-graders at the Gary school, where police and school officials confiscated $179 in counterfeit money.

All three face juvenile charges of forgery and theft, Cpl. Nelson Otano said Tuesday, after the students were brought to the police station.

The 10-year-old boy with most of the fake money told police he printed it on his computer the previous night.

"At first he said his father made it. Then he said he made it and his parents knew about it," Otano said.

A 12-year-old classmate traded a fake $20 bill for two legitimate $10 bills from a school cashier earlier Tuesday, Otano said.

"The girl knew it was fake," he said.

The third student arrested, also a 10-year-old boy, gave the money he had to Tatum. In all, police identified seven fake 20s, three 10, one five and four ones, Otano said.

Secret Service agents were assisting in the investigation.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2005/12/14/cops_boy_tries_to_buy_lunch_with_fake_20?mode=PF