Chief Neal Lartigue with the Ville Platte Police Department warns of counterfeit scheme.

Recently the Ville Platte Police Department has received several complaints from businesses who have discovered counterfeit bills.  Chief Lartigue warns businesses to check for watermarks, color fibers, vertical security threads and other identifiers that will help determine if a bill is fake or counterfeit.  If there is bleeding ink anywhere on the bill then the bill is certainly suspicious and likely counterfeit.  Chief Lartigue also stated that it is important to note that the commonly used counterfeit detection pen does not work on these bills and should not be the only verification used.  Visual inspection can help determine if it is real or counterfeit. 

 If you see anything suspicious that would make you think the bill is counterfeit then you should be cautious and call the Ville Platte Police Department and report this information. 

Chief Lartigue reports that several businesses have fallen victim to recent counterfeit bills and the amount has now reached almost $ 500.00 combined.  Some of the bills are twenty dollar bills but the counterfeit bills are not limited to twenties.  “If you have what you believe to be a counterfeit bill at your business please call right away.” Chief Lartigue said, “Calling after the customer leaves allows them to move on and do this to another business.”  Quickly identifying these suspects will stop the distribution of these bills to other businesses.  

If you have information on counterfeit money recently being distributed in the area or if you think that you have counterfeit money that is being presented at your business, call the Ville Platte Police Department at 363-1313.  Your call will remain anonymous.

On Saturday September 27, 2014 at approximately 12:30 am officers on normal patrol discovered a truck parked behind a local business on Lucy Street.  Contact was made with two suspects at that time.    Arrested was Donnie Johnson 25 of 1174 L’anse De Tate Road, Ville Platte on an outstanding failure to appear warrant.  Johnson was transported to the Evangeline Parish Sherriff’s Office jail for booking.  Also arrested was Layton Michael Ashurst, 25 of 420 Wyble Road, Ville Platte.  Ashurst was charged with no driver’s license, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Ashurst was booked into the Ville Platte City Jail where he remains incarcerated on a $5,200.00 bond.