Waterbury Police Arrest Three in Counterfeit Money Investigation

Detectives from the Waterbury Police Department and the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Special Investigations have announced the arrest of three suspects accused of using counterfeit money to purchase goods from retailers in the Brass City.

I can tell you from my wife's expert perspective, she's put in three years there, the retailers and employees of stores in Brass Mill Commons face organized attempts at shoplifting nearly every day. On Monday, 9/9/24 at 2PM, detectives were conducting an ongoing investigation in the area of Union Street in Waterbury when they observed suspicious activity involving two vehicles in one of the parking lots.

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Detectives determined, with the assistance of store employees, that two of the individuals in the suspicious vehicles had purchased $840 in merchandise from one retailer, and attempted to purchase additional merchandise from two other retail establishments on Bank Street and Wolcott Street, with counterfeit money.

Anthony Roberts of Waterbury, Lemuel Gravesande and Alisa Mingo of Brooklyn, New York were detained in the parking lot, where detective allegedly located $1,100 in counterfeit $20 bills in their possession, in addition to receipts for the earlier fraudulent purchases.

All three were taken into custody, transported to Connecticut State Police - Troop A in Southbury, and charged with Conspiracy to Commit Forgery - 1st Degree, and Conspiracy to Commit Larceny - 5th Degree. Gravesande and Roberts were both released after posting $50,000 bonds, and both are scheduled to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on 10/1/24. Mingo remains in custody while being held on a $50,000 bond, and was scheduled for arraignment in Waterbury Superior Court earlier today.