JOLIET – A Markham man and a 17-year-old minor were arrested Wednesday on two counts of forgery after allegedly handing off counterfeit $100 bills to multiple stores in the area, including Advance Auto Parts and Menards.
According to reports, it happened during afternoon hours around 3 pm after Menards employees notified Joliet PD two customers were trying to pass off counterfeit cash inside the store. Employees reported the duo ran out of the store before security guards could stop them.
Officers later identified the two outside of a Car Wash a few blocks away smoking marijuana in their car. A search of the car turned up seven counterfeit $100 bills, all bearing the same serial number, and a bag of cannabis, police report. Following an investigation, police recovered another counterfeit bill from the auto parts store.
The man, 20-year-old Demetri Ates, and the unnamed minor were later positively identified as the suspects by Menards staff. Ates was booked into the Will County Jail Wednesday afternoon on two counts of forgery. The juvenile was charged with two counts of forgery as well and booked into the River Valley Justice Center.
