Dec. 18, 2017 -- Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. today announced the sentencing of a New York City man to three to six years in state prison for passing counterfeit bills at Bloomingdale's Department Store in White Plains.
Donald Jackson, who pled guilty to Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the First Degree on Nov. 13, was sentenced as a second felony offender by Judge Larry J. Schwartz.
According to DA Scarpino, on March 16, 2017 Jackson purchased $748.00 worth of merchandise using eight counterfeit $100 bills at Bloomingdale’s, located at 175 Bloomingdale Rd. in White Plains, New York.
A Bloomingdale's Asset Protection employee recognized Jackson as having been in the store weeks earlier with two girls he handed money to for use in the store. That money was later deemed to be counterfeit.
The employee began watching Jackson on the video surveillance system and witnessed the sales transaction take place. He then observed Jackson leave the store and walk outside to an older vehicle, which the employee recognized from the previous incident.
The employee immediately went to the register and examined the $100 bills Jackson had just used for payment and noticed they were counterfeit. With the eight counterfeit bills in hand, the employee ran outside to get the license plate number of the car. He flagged down a White Plains Police Officer who was parked in the lot and told him what happened, giving a description of the vehicle Jackson had entered. The officer located the vehicle, which was still in the lot, and arrested Jackson. A search of the defendant revealed 18 additional counterfeit $100 bills in his pocket. The stolen merchandise was also recovered from the backseat of the car. A Secret Service Agent examined all 26 bills and confirmed they were, in fact, counterfeit.
DA Scarpino noted that Jackson, 25, also has a pending charge in Paramus, New Jersey for using counterfeit currency at Lord & Taylor there.
Assistant District Attorney Stefanie DeNise of the Identity Theft Unit prosecuted the case.
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