Three Charged with Using Fake $100 Bills in Westport

[Editor's note: Arrest information is supplied by the Westport Police Department. It does not indicate convictions.]

Three people face a slew of charges after allegedly attempting to use counterfeit $100 bills to purchase items from Walgreens in Westport Thursday, police said.

An employee from the Post Road East Walgreens called police at approximately 1 p.m. Thursday to report a male was attempting to pay for merchandise with what the complainant suspected was a fraudulent $100 bill.

A responding officer found a person matching the description of the suspect while he was still in the store; another officer located the vehicle they believed was connected to the suspect.

The suspect and two occupants in the vehicle were detained, according to police.

Officers found a large number of $100 counterfeit bills in the car, as well as a quantity of crack cocaine, police said. Officers believe the suspects passed the bills in Westport and surrounding towns.

Melquawn Abernathy, 19, of Westbury, N.Y.; Nya Rampersad, 21, of Hempstead, N.Y.; and Kashawn Hill, 18, of Hempstead, N.Y. were each charged with 22 counts of first-degree forgery, 22 counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree forgery, sixth-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny, possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance, possession of narcotics with intent to sell, and conspiracy to possess narcotics with intent to sell.

The suspects were each held in lieu of $50,000 bonds.

Westport police are working with the United States Secret Service to determine the extent of the suspects' alleged criminal activities.