On Sunday November 24, 2019 at approximately 12:03 P.M. deputies responded to a report of a subject passing a counterfeit $100.00 bill at a fast food restaurant on Warrenton Road. The caller advised the subject who passed the fake bill was still in the drive thru and was operating a silver Toyota Camry that was occupied by a total of three people.

Deputy R. K. Pinkard arrived on the scene and observed the suspect vehicle still in the lot. As he approached, he made contact with the male driver and two females who were occupying the Toyota. He obtained their identification and discovered that the occupant in the back seat was wanted by Culpeper County on a shoplifting charge. He subsequently placed her under arrest and secured her in his cruiser.

Deputy Pinkard then advised the driver of the vehicle that there was something wrong with the form of payment he used to purchase his chicken nuggets and asked him where he had gotten the $100.00 bill. He told the deputy he had borrowed it from his uncle.

Once a back-up unit arrived, Deputy Pinkard was able to speak with the employee who had received the counterfeit money. She stated the driver of the vehicle ordered ten pieces of chicken nuggets and a drink. He then handed her a $100.00 bill which she believed to be counterfeit. She then called the Sheriff’s Office.

After speaking with the complainant, Deputy Pinkard returned to the suspect vehicle and had the driver exit. After further discussion, the driver was arrested for DUI. During an inventory search of the vehicle, fifty one more counterfeit $100.00 bills were located all displaying the same serial number. When being questioned, the third occupant of the vehicle admitted that the counterfeit money had been found in a book bag at the Motel Six on Warrenton Road and that she and the driver were aware the bills were fake.

Later on the same day, Stafford Deputies were called to the Motel 6 at approximately 5:27 P.M. for another complaint of counterfeit money. When deputies arrived, they were told by a Chinese Restaurant delivery driver that she had been paid for a delivery with a counterfeit $100.00 bill. The transaction had occurred in a common area and the suspect walked up a set of stairs after being given the food. Using names and information obtained in the earlier case, deputies were able to locate the suspects in one of the rooms. When they knocked on the door and it was opened, Chinese food was observed by the deputies. Numerous people occupied the room and were interviewed by deputies and detectives. It was determined that one of the occupants, Demetrius Higgins was the person who gave the delivery driver the counterfeit bill. He was arrested and found to also be wanted by Culpeper County on a Probation Violation. A subsequent search of the motel room yielded over fifty more counterfeit $100.00 bills.

Arrested were:

Joseph Lamar Tatum of Culpeper VA
Charges: Forging Bank Notes, Possessing Forged Bank Notes, Conspiracy, Obtaining Money by False Pretense, DUI and No Operator’s License

Tia Lesha Thompson of Reva VA
Charges: Possessing Forged Bank Notes, Conspiracy

Denisha Lambert of Culpeper
Charges: Warrant for Shoplifting from Culpeper County

Demetrius Higgins of Culpeper
Charges: Possessing Forged Bank Notes, Forging Bank Notes, Probation Violation from Culpeper County