Five high school students are facing charges for allegedly making counterfeit $20 bills and using them at local businesses in New Jersey, CBS New York reported.
A Dunkin Donuts in Milford was the first place to discover the fake bills, police said.
Over a four-week period beginning in April, counterfeit of $20 bills with the same serial numbers began surfacing at businesses in and around the city of New Milford, Fox News reported.
The northern New Jersey teens were identified wearing New Milford school attire after police reviewed security video from a store surveillance system on April 25 and May 8, according to authorities.
The U.S. Secret Service was contacted by police Det. Kevin Van Sanders after analyzing the footage. Sanders was informed that bills with the same serial number had also been passed in Dumont and Paramus, the station reported.
"Secret Service officials said that the bills appeared to have been made on a home ink-jet printer, using resume paper. Upon further investigation it was determined that the bills had been made by a teen on a home computer before being distributed to other New Milford High School students, authorities say," according to CBS New York.
Two of the students are charged with passing forged bills, possession of forgery equipment and theft by deception. The others are charged with theft by deception.
One of the teenagers reportedly admitted to producing approximately $1,000 in fake bills during an interview with police.
After being granted permission by the student's parents to search their home for the printer, authorities discovered one HP Deskjet printer, a box of resume paper, a counterfeit $20 bill and five counterfeit $5 bills, according to the station.
All suspects were charged as juveniles and released to their parents. Since they are minors, their names have not been released, police said.
