George Montgomery

PENN TWP — As far as bogus bills go, these ones looked good — at least on the front.

But if a recent victim had bothered to flip over the funny money, he may not have been taken.

“There was Chinese writing on the back,” said Penn Township police officer Alyssa Mathews.

Police arrested a Washington County man Monday for allegedly passing five counterfeit $100 bills to purchase a television from an unwitting seller over the weekend.

The defendant, George L. Montgomery, 23, of Eighty Four is in the Butler County Prison on $5,000 bail.

Police said the victim listed an ad on Craigslist for his 55-inch TV. The defendant apparently agreed to buy it for $500.

The two eventually met Sunday night at a restaurant/bar on Route 8 in Penn Township to conduct the transaction. The buyer gave the TV to Montgomery, who handed over the suspected fake money.

Mathews said that it wasn't until Monday that the victim found out that he had been had. He notified police.

He also told authorities where they could find the suspect — at the Port-O-Call trailer park in Penn Township.

“The victim knew (Montgomery) had been staying there,” Mathews said.

Police showed up around 10:30 p.m. and took him into custody. He made no statement to police.

As for the counterfeit currency, Mathews believes it could be movie prop money, which can be purchased online. The bills are legal to buy for their intended purpose.

The bogus bills looked “pretty believable,” she noted, other than the Chinese writing on the back side.

The meaning of the foreign characters was not immediately clear. Reports, however, suggest that the currency was made in China for training purposes. Chinese bank clerks use the “money” to help them identify authentic U.S. currency.

District Judge Sue Haggerty arraigned Montgomery on felony charges of forgery and misdemeanor charges of theft and receiving stolen property.