2 Men Accused Of Circulating Counterfeit Currency In Hartford/West Hartford: State Police

HARTFORD/WEST HARTFORD, CT — Two men have been charged in connection with a counterfeit cash operation following a state police surveillance initiative in Hartford and West Hartford last week.

According to the Connecticut State Police, the two men were charged on Friday. Police released arrest reports for both men on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 9.

The suspects, police said, are:

• Eric B. Gamble, 38, of Sargeant Street, Hartford, who was charged with possession of a controlled substance, illegal possession of cannabis, carrying a pistol without a permit, illegal possessoin of a weapon in a motor vehicle, conspiracy to commit first-degree forgery, interfering with an officer/resisting arrest, assault of a public safety officer, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of a pistol/revolver, and violation of a protective order.

Online court records show Gamble is being held on $750,000 bond, and he will next appear in Hartford Superior Court Oct. 20.

• Eduardo Rodriguez, 30, of South Ozone Park Street, Queens, N.Y., who was charged with first-degree forgery and conspiracy to commit first-degree forgery.

According to online court records, he was released on $25,000 bond and will next appear in Hartford Superior Court Sept. 29.

A state police incident report stated detectives of the Bureau of Special Investigations on Friday, Sept. 5, noticed a brown 2025 Kia Telluride with Florida plates operating in Waterbury.

Police said it was known the vehicle was wanted by multiple police departments in Connecticut for its involvement in "counterfeit U.S. currency transactions."

Detectives, police said, then conducted "covert surveillance" operations on the vehicle in Hartford and West Hartford.

According to state police, the vehicle was observed making stops at multiple stores in those two communities, with the passenger — identified as Rodriguez — exiting the vehicle and entering each store.

Police said Rodriguez has several active arrest warrants against him from Greenwich and Rocky Hill for alleged counterfeit money transactions.

Detectives then followed the Kia to a Burger King parking lot at 9114 New Britain Ave., in Hartford, where Rodriguez was seen exiting the vehicle and entering the restaurant.

That's where detectives conducted a motor vehicle stop, and the driver, later identified as Gamble, accelerated and "intentionally struck the front end of two state police vehicles," police said in a report.

Eventually, Gamble was taken into custody without further incident, according to police.

Police said Gamble was a convicted felon on parole, and he was found to possess $6,500 in counterfeit U.S. currency, 10 Fentanyl pills, and a Taurus G2C 9mm handgun.

Rodriguez was later located and taken into custody without incident. He was found to have counterfeit U.S. currency.

Both suspects were taken to the state police Troop H barracks in Hartford for processing.

For more information on the case, click on this link.