Counterfeit money 'an ongoing issue' at casino

OXFORD — Maine State Police are investigating the use of a counterfeit $50 bill at the Oxford Casino, reported Sergeant Mike Zabarsky during a Maine Gambling Control Board meeting in Oxford on Tuesday.

According to State Police Detective Dan Armstrong, there have been three or four incidences of counterfeit money at the casino. The last incident happened within the past few weeks, Armstrong said.

Zabarsky told the board he had seen the bill and it was "very convincing."

He said police are working with Oxford Casino security and surveillance to try and identify a suspect in the case.

Zabarsky reported Armstrong requested the casino conduct a review of its surveillance records to see if subject had been in the facility before.

"This has been an ongoing issue," he told the board.

The incident at the casino occurred around the same time that counterfeit money was circulated at the Oxford County Fair, Zabarsky said. Oxford Police Chief Jon Tibbetts confirmed six fake $20 bills were circulated at the fair.

According to Tibbetts, police in Lewiston have also picked up fake bills with the same serial numbers. He thought it could be a tri-county issue.

Tibbetts told the board that he had turned the case over to Secret Service, but so far had only been in telephone contact with them.

Tibbetts told the board Oxford PD had received 11 service calls from  the casino since its last meeting. He said most calls were from security who were attempting to prevent intoxicated patrons from driving.