Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
A Pierceton man was arrested after allegedly paying for a vehicle with counterfeit money.
Matthew L. Roberson, 40, of 9857 E. Adams Road, Pierceton, is charged with theft, a level 6 felony; counterfeiting, a level 6 felony; and impairment of identification, a class A misdemeanor.
He was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail Sept. 15 and released on bond.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on May 3 a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to an alleged theft of a 2014 Chevrolet Silverado from a school.
The officer talked to the car’s owner, who said they had been in contact with a man regarding the purchase of the truck. They had arranged to meet at the school on May 2 to finalize the sale. The owner met with the man between 10 and 10:15 p.m. The owner said the man handed him an envelope with $550 and the money appeared authentic. The man drove the vehicle away without a registration plate. On May 3, when the owner opened the envelope, he found the bills were counterfeit.
The officer spoke with someone who said the vehicle identification number had been changed on the truck and provided officers with a false and fictitious registration plate that was put on the plate. The person said the truck was at the Whitley County Jail. The officer and NET 43 officer located the truck with the false license plate on June 24 at WCJ. Officers conducted surveillance and saw Roberson and a woman get into the truck and drive away.
On June 26, the officers located the truck sitting in the driveway of a relative of Roberson’s. Officers found the registration returned as inactive on a 2006 Ford.
Officers served a search warrant for the vehicle and found the correct vin for the truck. The vin number on the door panel had been removed and the vin under the front windshield had been damaged.
In the vehicle, officers found counterfeit money.
On July 9, NET 43 officers and Whitley County Sheriff’s Department officers served a search warrant at Roberson’s location in Larwill. During the search, officers found paraphernalia Roberson allegedly used to make the fake money.
Roberson also has a warrant in Whitley County for theft of property between $750 and $50,000, a level 6 felony.
