Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
A Mentone man is facing counterfeiting charges after ordering $100 bills from the internet and later using at least one for a purchase.
Matthew Dillan Mahaska, 24, of 6663 W. CR 500S, #1, Mentone, has been charged with three level 6 felony counts of counterfeiting. He was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail at 1:31 p.m. Friday, with a bond set at $5,250.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed in Kosciusko Circuit and Superior Court, on Nov. 17 a Warsaw Police officer spoke with Animal Welfare League Executive Director Darla McCammon, who said that on Nov. 10 a woman driving a blue truck used a phony $100 bill to purchase a puppy.
The officer viewed the video of the sale and identified the woman as Samantha Burleson, 18, Etna Green.
Burleson was arrested and booked into the county jail in November for counterfeiting.
Mahaska admitted to police he ordered the counterfeit bills from Amazon and was giving them to people as a joke. He said he believed Burleson had 10 counterfeit $100 bills and admitted he was in the truck with Burleson when they purchased pizza with the fake money.
The bills say “Suvenir of America” on the left side or “For Motion Picture Use Only” on the right side. The bills can be purchased online and are commonly used as souvenirs or props in movies.
On Nov. 15, another officer spoke with a McDonald’s employee who said a female driving a small blue truck presented a fake $100 bill to her, but the employee recognized the bill as phony and the woman drove away without her food.
The police department also received reports of fake $100 bills on Nov. 14 at McDonald’s; Nov. 13 at Sherman and Lins Discount; Nov. 11 at Steak ‘N Shake; Nov. 10 at Home Digz; and Nov. 10 at Taco Bell.
The investigating officer showed a collection of photos to a Taco Bell employee who was working when the counterfeit bill was received and the employee identified Burleson as the person who paid with the phony bill.
On Nov. 13, the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department received a report of a woman driving a blue truck who used a counterfeit $100 bill to purchase pizza from Bourbon Street Pizza. The KCSD officer also received a report that on Nov. 16 Burleson used a $100 counterfeit bill to purchase a dishwasher from an individual.
The KCSD officer spoke with Burleson who said that Mahaska purchased counterfeit $100 bills over the internet. She said she and Mahaska used a fake $100 bill to purchase a dishwasher, which was at Mahaska’s residence.
Burleson also said they used a fake $100 bill to purchase pizza and drinks from Bourbon Street Pizza and that she knew the $100 bills were counterfeit.
The WPD investigating officer spoke with Burleson who admitted to using the fake money to make purchases at the Animal Welfare league, McDonald’s and Steak ’N Shake. She said Mahaska was with her every time she used the bills.
