Cops: Man Granted Freedom Commits Felony Before Judge

SC trespassing suspect allegedly tried to pay $250 bail with counterfeit bills
Posted Mar 18, 2026 10:30 AM CDT

A trespassing suspect given the opportunity to post $250 bail tried to pay with four counterfeit $100 bills, telling the judge he could "keep the change," according to South Carolina police. Chesterfield County Magistrate John Davis declined the offer before noticing the color of the bills looked off, reports the Smoking Gun. According to Monday's police report, the judge flipped the bills over and saw Chinese characters printed on the back.

A detention officer then used a counterfeit-detection pen, which confirmed the money wasn't real, investigators say, per WSB. Instead of walking out of jail, Alexander—initially arrested Saturday—was charged with felony forgery and misdemeanor contempt of court, and his bond jumped to more than $6,000. He remained jailed as of Tuesday, per WYFF. Police initially believed Alexander had handed the judge three $100 bills. However, four bills were counted when the fake money was logged into evidence, per the Smoking Gun.

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