Easton man arrested for attempting to use counterfeit money

EASTON, Md. – The Easton Police Department have arrested 26-year-old Michael Meloche after he reportedly attempted to use counterfeit money on multiple occasions.

The first incident occurred on September 7th, when Easton Police were called to respond to Hobby Town on Marlboro Avenue for a report of a subject attempting to use a counterfeit $100 bill. Officers learned that a Caucasian male supposedly tried to pay with the counterfeit bill, and when employees did not accept the bill, the subject left.

A few days later, on September 13th, the Easton Police department was called to respond to Foxwell’s Antiques on Ocean Gateway for a report of a Caucasian male and a Caucasian female using a counterfeit $100 bill. In this incident, officers learned that the subjects used the counterfeit bill to purchase small items, supposedly collecting change and leaving the business.

Officers also responded to Kohl’s and Tuesday Morning, both on Marlboro Avenue, and Shore United Bank, for reports of counterfeit bills. Kohl’s and Tuesday Morning reported the same information as previous businesses, and Shore United employees reported that they were receiving counterfeit $100 bills from local businesses.

Through initial investigation, Easton Police were able to identify Meloche and charged him with five counts of possession of forged currency, four counts of theft less than $100, two counts of attempted theft less than $100, and one count of theft scheme less than $1,500.

Meloche was taken before a Talbot County District Court Commissioner, where he was later released on a $5,000 unsecured bond. The investigation is currently on-going, and more charges are still to come.