A Parx Casino guest was arrested for allegedly attempting to use a fake $100 bill at the cage at the Bensalem gambling property last week. Authorities they found more than $3,000 in additional counterfeit United States currency on his person at the time of his arrest.
Justin Gehlert of Warminster was taken into custody by Pennsylvania State Police on March 14 after casino staff reported his attempt to pass off the fake bill as genuine.
The suspect has been charged with multiple offenses attached to the amount of alleged counterfeit money he had on his person: 33 felony counts of forgery (one for each alleged counterfeit $100 bill); and 33 misdemeanors for possession of an instrument of crime with intent, again based on the number of phony bills he possessed.
The possible punishment for using and possessing counterfeit currency in Pennsylvania is up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $25,000, according to statutes. There could also be federal charges on counterfeiting, which is investigated through the U.S. Secret Service.
Arrest occurred during early morning hours
Employees in the cash cage at Parx Casino contacted authorities when they were suspicious of the $100 Gehlert presented to them on March 14. He was arrested at 2:40 AM, according to the State Police. He’s currently housed in the Bucks County Main Correctional Facility.
The $3,300 in alleged counterfeit bills were sent to the U.S. Secret Service.
In recent years few cases of customers using fake currency has been reported in casinos in the United States. But, several high-profile incidents have emerged where scammers have attempted to cash in counterfeit chips. However, in 2019, four people in Philadelphia were charged and later convicted of attempting to pass $16,000 in counterfeit bills at multiple casinos, including Harrah’s Philadelphia.
