Man arrested, cuffed after using $2 bills

Howdy,
Is it me or does it seem odd that there is NO mention of a customer service manager, store manager or any manager at all mentioned in this story? I can believe the clerk not recognizing the 2 dollar currency but it seems at that point if there were any question in regards to the legitamacy of the money, a manager of some type would have been called.
I worked retail for a very brief period in my life and while I admittedly had some pretty lame managers any one of them would have been able to resolve the situation with the cashier before the cops were called.
It just seems like this whole story escalted kinda of quick to be legitimate. It's not like the best buy did not know where to find this guy, so I can't see why they would : (a) risk the public relations nightmare a situation like this would cause. (b) risk getting the $hit sued out of them by a disgruntled customer (c) risk losing a fortune in revenue to their competitors that don't jail patrons for paying with legal (all-be-it rare) tender.
This may in deed be a true story but it sure does sound BOGUS!!
 
I enjoy going to Best Buy every time I am in the shopping center just so I can ignore the door nazis when I walk out.
 
That goes particularly for any form of CUSTOMER SERVICE. And these are the people that will be 'taking care of' all us BOOMERS in our old age. That scares me the MOST.
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eh.. I wouldn't count on it....

I bought a gift card Christmas for our son in law on the 9th. It was supposed to be shipped in 5 days. Two days before Christmas I still don’t have it. I made at least 5 calls to "bricks" (I mean stupid). I finally canceled the transaction with my credit card company. The called to get their money and I told them to cancel the gift card that arrived after Christmas. So if they say it was used. I have it.

That was my worse customer service encounter I ever had with any large chain. If I need something I wont by it there. The kids bought us the Star wars set for Christmas 70 bucks. I took it back and re-credited their card. That’s how you fight back. I wrote a letter to them No reply. Says a lot.
 
Wallew & Handy
I guess I didnt do as good a job of asking the question as I had hoped; too much blood in my caffeine system :)

What I was getting at is: Since the Federal Govt is the only body that can mint/print money it makes sense that there would be a Federal law against counterfeiting. Since the City of Baltimore (or the State of MD) cannot print/mint money then it would also make sense that there is no state or city law against counterfeiting.
If there is no local law against counterfeiting then on what authority did the local cops act?

To use Handy's example

Would you also expect local police to ignore a kidnapping, since that is also a Federal crime?

The answer is, No, because there are kidnapping laws at both the local AND Ferderal level.
 
I would, however, expect police to know the difference between a kidnapping and driving a kid to a soccer game.
 
The Secret Service was around long before they started "guarding" the President. Even thou, that role is what most people think is the SS's only job!The SS is the correct branch to investigate fake money. They also are involved in many crimes that occur at FDIC banks, money laundering, etc.

But, there was no reason for them to get involved in this. The cashier should have called her manager. End of Story.
 
1. The BCPD ought to know legal tender when any of its officers sees it. Arrests require probable cause of a crime. WHAT was the crime here?

2. The cashier - ANY cashier - ought to know legal tender he/she sees it. This twit didn't.
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Actually, what the BCPD OUGHT to know is that IF they think they have counterfeit money IS TO CALL SS.

What the CASHIER OUGHT to know about legal tender is IF they think they have a counterfeit bill, they should call PD.

NO ONE did anything wrong. NO ONE did anything RIGHT either.

If you are expecting either the PD OR the CASHIER to know anything about MONEY, then you are mistaken. THESE DAYS, most can't even do the job assigned to them (cashier) much less be able to identify bogus bucks. The PD have NO TRAINING at identifying bogus bucks. Secret Service DOES have the training and know how to pick out bogus bucks.

And the guy WAS NEVER ARRESTED, just 'detained' for questioning, which they can do LEGALLY for up to 48 hours and YOU OR I have NO RECOURSE, until they let us out of custody (if they do).

Other than a really messy customer service problem, this is SOP for both Best Buy and MOST PD's. I sure hope that both Best Buy and the PD guys at least offered the guy they detained an apology, but I personally doubt it.
 
Here's a $2 bill; buy a clue.

"And the guy WAS NEVER ARRESTED, just 'detained' for questioning..."

Utter nonsense.

Unlike like the poster quoted above, those of use who actually read the article know the customer was arrested. How? The article expressly stated that fact:

"A man trying to pay a fee using $2 bills was arrested, handcuffed and taken to jail after clerks at a Best Buy store questioned the currency's legitimacy and called police."

Here's a hint, Ace: Being taken into custody IS being under arrest.

The same poster further declares that:

"What the CASHIER OUGHT to know about legal tender is IF they [sic] think they have a counterfeit bill, they [sic] should call [the] PD."

Here's a radical idea: Perhaps the cashier ought to call his/her manager on the off chance management actually has a clue, before making accusations about a customer and calling the police.

Or is that too rational? :rolleyes:
 
Hockea,

I can't think of a situation where a local cop wouldn't make an arrest for a federal crime. It only becomes a juristiction issue if the 'higher' agency is also immediately available.


And to answer your specific question, counterfeiting is a type of fraud. Fraud is locally illegal as well.
 
I did; have you?

Originally Posted by Number 6

"Here's a hint, Ace: Being taken into custody IS being under arrest. "

BluesMan:

"Here's another hint - for you, No. 6 - Better check your sources."

I have - here it is. What is/are yours, if any?

ARREST: 1. A seizure or forcible restraint. 2. The taking or keeping of a person in custody by legal authority, esp. in response to a criminal charge; specifically, the apprehension of someone for the purpose of securing the administration of law, especially of bringing that person before a court.

Black's Law Dictionary (8th Ed.) p. 116 (emphasis added).

And don't try to skate on "protective custody" - there is NOTHING in the fact pattern to support it.

Hint: Now read Miranda to ascertain when "custodial interrogation" starts.... :rolleyes:
 
I can't think of a situation where a local cop wouldn't make an arrest for a federal crime. It only becomes a juristiction issue if the 'higher' agency is also immediately available.

I can think of several situations. In fact, local agencies have publically refused to enforce several federal laws. Most recently, we had many cities/departments declaring they won't arrest or hell, even get involved with many sections of the Patriot Act.

And virtually no local cops seems willing to arrest for subjects they *KNOW* are illegal/criminal aliens. "not my job"
 
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