On Sept. 14 at approximately 12:02 a.m., a suspect who was later identified as Dvonte Johnson attempted to use a counterfeit $100 bill at Timothy’s Restaurant. Timothy’s staff originally thought the bill was real and accepted the transaction and gave the suspect $90 in change. After having some concerns about the bill, they showed it to Newark Police Department officers who deemed it counterfeit. The officers detained Johnson in the parking lot. He was arrested for the following charges and committed to Howard R. Young Correctional Institution (HRYCI) in lieu of $3,000 secured bond.

Johnson faces charges of forgery first degree theft (under $1,500) because of this incident.

Then, on Sept. 15, police were advised by Grotto’s of an incident that occurred on Sept. 13 at approximately 11:35 p.m. During that incident, a suspect used a counterfeit $100 bill to make a purchase and received $97 in change before leaving the restaurant. Officers later viewed the surveillance photos and observed the suspect to be the same person as involved in the Timothy’s incident. On Sept. 16, the Newark Police Department charged Johnson with this additional incident.

Johnson is a 23-year-old from Wilmington, Del.

Anyone with additional information on this incident should contact Officer Adam Heath at 302-366-7100 ext. 3437 or [email protected].

You can send an anonymous text message tip by texting 302NPD and your message to TIP411.

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