http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3367376/
Holly Springs cop accused of making phony money
Raleigh, N.C. — A Holly Springs police officer was arrested Monday night and charged with forging cash, Raleigh police spokesman Jim Sughrue said Tuesday.
Bruce Renard Green was charged with uttering a forged instrument, forgery of notes, checks and other securities, and felony obtaining property by false pretenses.
Green, 29, of 805 Nightshade Way in Raleigh, resigned Tuesday from his position with the Holly Spring police, a town spokesman said. He had been with the force for more than two years and had been assigned as a resource officer for elementary and middle schools.
“Obviously it is the last thing you want to hear. (I'm) very disappointed,” Holly Springs Police Chief John Herring said.
According to court documents, Green used $300 worth of counterfeit $20 bills to pay for escort services. The alleged escort services took place at the Econo Lodge, 2641 Appliance Court in Raleigh.
"We don't have any reason to believe that anything of this nature occurred while he was on duty or within the town of Holly Springs,” Herring said.
The U.S. Secret Service worked with Raleigh police in the investigation, which began after an individual attempted to use a counterfeit bill on Aug. 5. City detectives and federal agents then tracked the bill back to Green.
"We will continue to work with federal authorities," Sughrue said. "If federal charges appear to be more appropriate, they could supplant the state charges."
The person who tried to use the counterfeit bill has not been identified or arrested.
A man claiming to be Green's pastor answered the door at his house Tuesday evening. He said there would be no comment on the charges.
Herring said Green was an excellent officer and well-liked. He said the allegations should not be a reflection of the department or its officers.
"This is one person. It was one former member. The information that I have is that this is an isolated incident. It doesn't involve anyone else (or) any other members of this department,” he said.
Green was arraigned Tuesday and released from jail on a $10,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 3.
* Reporter: Sloane Heffernan
* Photographer: Greg Clark
* Web Editor: Minnie Bridgers
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1174660.html
Police officer charged with making fake money
By Thomasi McDonald, Staff Writer
Raleigh police and agents with the U.S. Secret Service charged a Holly Springs police officer last night with manufacturing phony money, authorities reported.
Bruce Renard Green, 27, of 805 Nightshade Way in Raleigh, has been charged with one count each of uttering a forged instrument, forgery of notes, checks and other securities, and felony obtaining property by false pretenses, according to records filed at the City-County Bureau of Identification.
Green started with Holly Springs police department in April, 2006, and his salary was $40,588. Mark Andrews, a town spokesman, said Green resigned from the force today. He turned in his badge and gun last night.
In addition to his current charges, Green could face federal charges.
"We will continue to work with federal authorities," Jim Sughrue, a Raleigh police spokesman said today. "If federal charges appear to be more appropriate they could supplant the state charges."
Green was picked up for questioning just before 8 p.m. last night and was arrested at 9:38 p.m., a spokeswoman with CCBI said this morning. He was released around 11 p.m. under a $10,000 unsecured bond.
Federal and local authorities began a joint investigation of Green on Aug. 5 after an individual was detained for passing counterfeit currency, Sughrue said.
Raleigh police contacted the U.S. Secret Service after the arrests and the agencies launched an investigation with city detectives and federal agents working backwards to track the source of the counterfeit cash, Sughrue said.
"In the end, it was determined that the currency originated with Bruce Renard Green," Sughrue said.
Sughrue was not sure what denomination of bills were passed during the Aug. 5 arrests.
"I don't know for certain," he said.
Nor would the police spokesman disclose how the money was manufactured.
"I just don't want that to lead to additional instances where other people are doing the same thing," he said.
Sughrue said it would be inaccurate to describe Green as being part of a counterfeit money ring with the other the other person detained on Aug. 5.
"I know that bad currency was recovered, but at this point that person has not been charged," Sughrue said. "I will also point out that the suspect has not been charged with conspiring with others."
thomasi.mcdonald@newsobserver.com
