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FORT MILL, S.C. Three North Carolina residents face forgery charges after deputies say they used dozens of counterfeit $20 bills at Carowinds on Saturday.
The three were arrested Saturday after witnesses identified them as using fake $20 bills at the amusement park's games that day, according to a York County Sheriff's Office report.
Sharod Mitchell, 19, of Forest City, N.C., Arthiando Phillips, 21, of Shelby, N.C., and Sarah Colon, 19, of Cherryville, N.C., each have been charged with forgery and criminal conspiracy, sheriff's office documents show. All three remain in custody Mondat at the Moss Justice Center on $7,000 bond.
Deputies found $1,175 on the trio — a lot of it folded separately in sets of $15 to $19 as though it was change from a small purchase with a $20 bill, the report stated.
Carowinds security had 37 fake $20 bills that had been spent at the park that day, and park officials expect there might be more.
A park employee noticed the money looked odd and notified security, Carowinds spokeswoman Dani Swords said.
Security then tracked the trio through the park before calling police, Swords said.
“This is not something that happens often,” Swords said. “We're happy an associate was able to detect it. ... We're glad we're able to catch people doing the wrong thing.”
All three denied involvement in a scheme involving fake money, according to the report.
Two of the original bills that had been duplicated were among the found cash, the report stated. Deputies also found evidence in Colon's car in the parking lot.
All three suspects have been banned from Carowinds.
