Columbia man accused of counterfeiting thousands of dollars

A man was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of possessing thousands of dollars in counterfeit $100 bills, according to Boone County sheriff’s deputies.

Authorities arrested 21-year-old Anthony Nunes shortly before midnight at the Petromart just off Grindstone Parkway near the highway, where they said he had 85 $100 bills.

He is charged with felony forgery and possession of a controlled substance.

Officials said convenience and retails stores are targets for counterfeiters because people still pay cash at those locations, and those employees are on high alert.

According to the probable cause statement, when Nunes attempted to pay for $30 worth of gas with a $100 bill the employee checked the bill with a counterfeit testing marker.

When she discovered it was fake, she called authorities.

People can also check their bills validity by holding them up to the light and checking the watermark. Additionally, officials said to look to see if the smaller details are correct.

For instance, the portrait of the person on the bill will stand out from the rest of the details behind it.

Nunes is being held at the Boone County Jail on a $19,500 bond.

Authorities said the amount of fake money he had with him is unusual in this area.

He was also wanted on unlawful use of a weapon and failure to appear in court, authorities said.

To see more ways to find out if a bill you received is fake you can go to the Secret Service website.