A man sought by Kingsport police after allegedly jumping out a window to avoid investigators, leaving behind 13 sheets of uncut counterfeit bills in his apartment, has turned himself in to authorities.
KPD Det. Martin Taylor says several counterfeiting investigations are continuing in the Model City with charges expected against additional individuals. Both Kingsport and Church Hill police are now warning local business to be on the lookout for counterfeit bills, due to the excessive amounts of phony currency circulating the area.
On Tuesday the Times-New reported Kenneth Boggs, 23, of 1535 Fort Henry Drive, Apartment 19, was wanted on 26 counts of criminal simulation. He turned himself in Wednesday afternoon at the Kingsport Police Department and was booked into jail.
On Jan. 16 investigators visited Boggs' apartment, where he allegedly jumped out of a window and fled. A female inside the residence later let police inside and consented to a search. Thirteen uncut sheets of counterfeit $10 bills, each sheet containing two bills, were allegedly located by investigators, along with scraps of printed currency and printer ink cartridges.
On Thursday afternoon Church Hill police sounded the warning on fake bills, providing the public with specific serial numbers found on the counterfeit money;$10 bills marked with JD79517444A orJD79516605A, 20s with 1K01034310E.
CHPD asked anyone who comes across counterfeit bills with those serial numbers, or any other suspicious currency, to take note of details about the person who passed it, such as a physical description or vehicle tag number, then contact their local police.
A Fall Branch man was also arrested for criminal simulation this week — his second such booking on the charge this month.
Jeffery D. Crawford, 49, 111 Nessa Lane, Fall Branch, allegedly passed fake money on Jan. 12 at the Family Dollar on West Sullivan St. In that incident he was arrested at the scene and found to have three additional counterfeit $10 bills in his wallet.
Crawford posted bond and was released, with Kingsport police later identifying him as the suspect in a previous fake bills incident at Marcum’s Pharmacy on Ravine Street. A warrant was issued for his arrest in that incident on Tuesday and he was later apprehended.
Anyone with information on counterfeiting activities in Kingsport is asked to contact central dispatch at (423) 246-9111 or the KPD Criminal Investigations Division at (423) 229-9429.
Staff writer Jeff Bobo contributed to this report.