October 7, 2015
By Paul Joseph, Paragon News Director –
Two people from Tennessee have been arrested for making and passing counterfeit money. The husband and wife were, allegedly, going to pass the fake money until Christmas-time and then stop.
Elk City police were recently called to a convenience store on the east side of town in reference to a man passing a fake $50-dollar bill. By the time police arrived, the man, 47-year-old Patrick Donald Reilly had left but was picked up in a cube shaped, gray car heading west. A passenger in the vehicle, 43-year-old Audrey Angel Reilly, she didn’t know what was going on, however, police found over $11-hundred dollars in fake bills under the front seat where she had been sitting.
Both were placed under arrest and taken to jail.
During a later interview, Reilly told police that he’d been caught in 2009 making small bills and served 37-months in Federal prison.
He also allegedly told police that he’d save officers a lot of time and be cooperative if they’d not charge his wife. He also allegedly told investigators that the bills he’d passed at the convenience store was “garbage” compared to what he usually makes, but he was tired.
Following those remarks, Reilly sat up straight and moved to the edge of his chair and allegedly began explaining the process he uses to manufacture fake money. He told police he begins by using a specific brand of oven cleaner and scrubbing the bill, even using a toothbrush, then rinsing and drying it. Reilly went into considerable detail telling officers how he places the bills on a copy machine and printing them out.
He also allegedly told police he doesn’t usually pass the money. His wife does. He explained he has long hair and is covered in tattoos while Audrey is a good candidate saying, “She doesn’t look like the type of person who would do it.” He said she’d purchase small jewelry and gift items for the kids, “hand the bill over, get change and back out.”
Reilly allegedly told police they were only going to make and pass the fake bills a short while, until Christmas and then “call it quits and head back home.” He explained that he’d make a few because he was out of work and could use them while they were on a trip to see her family. The vast majority of the money, he told police, was between Muskogee and Elk City.
Also found in the vehicle was a computer inside a suitcase and a printer.
Both are in the Beckham County Detention Center awaiting with their preliminary hearings set for November 10.
Patrick Reilly is being held on a $30-thouand-dollar bond and Audrey on a $10-thousand dollar bond.
