POLICE: Fraudulent $100 Bill Leads To Arrest

A New Castle man was arrested last month after attempted to pass a fraudulent $100 bill at a local gas station.

Jaycob Heasley, 18, of New Castle, was arrested on charges of theft by deception, driving under the influence, and driving the wrong way, after police pursued the suspect and conducted a traffic stop shortly after the fraudulent bill was presented in an attempt to purchase a bag of Skittles at Uni-Mart just after midnight on August 16, 2019.

Police were dispatched to Uni-Mart and given a description of the suspect who had left in a sedan with a female driver.  Police then checked the surrounding area, focusing on 7-11 convenience store as it was the nearest station open at the time. Police located and observed the beige-colored sedan exit the 7-11 parking lot and proceeded to follow onto Wampum Avenue.

After traveling on Wampum Avenue, turning north on Bridge Street, the vehicle continued straight, traveling the wrong direction on a clearly-marked one-way roadway.

Police conducted a traffic stop, noticing the vehicle broken rear window, and detected an odor of marijuana emanating from inside the vehicle along with a strong smell of cologne.  Heasley, who was driving, then failed a field sobriety test.

When questioned at the police station, Heasley advised that he was given the fraudulent $100 bill as part of a marijuana dealing.