Police: Man Goes on Hoboken Shopping Spree with Fake Money

Hoboken Police arrested a Brooklynite on Friday, after he allegedly spent fake money in multiple Hoboken establishments, according to police reports.

Police said the man spent fake $20 bills in at least seven businesses in Hoboken.

A little before 10 p.m. on Friday, an employee of East LA reported to police that she had been given a counterfeit $20 bill.

The employee had followed the man, Steven Baez from Brooklyn, out of the bar.

When police caught up with Baez, they were quickly able to determine that the 27-year-old was in possession of fake money, according to reports. With him he had a stack of fake $20 bills and receipts from the stores he had been to, police said.

Earlier in the evening, he stopped by Cluck U Chicken, where he purchased $3.10 worth of goods. He got $17 dollars back, according to police reports. (he paid with a fake $20 bill and a dime, according to police).

From there, he allegedly went to Johnny Rockets, where he purchased $3.63 worth of food, police said. Baez got $16.37 back in change, according to reports.

Next up Natural Basic Food, according to police.

The fourth stop seemed to have been Five Guys—where the fake $20 bill was not retreived when police went back for it later—where Baez allegedly got $11.98 back in change, according to police.

At Mamoun's Falafel, police said that Baez spent $1.35, paid with a fake bill and got $18.65 back in change.

Baez also allegedly went to Coldstone Creamery.

When he entered East LA around 10 p.m. and handed over the fake bill after ordering a drink, the waitress recognized the counterfit bill, police said.

Police officers returned to the establishments and recovered the counterfit bill, except at Five Guys and Natural Basic Foods.

Baez was arrested and charged with six counts of uttering, five counts of theft by deception and bail jumping, police said. Baez had an outstanding warrant in Union City, according to the police reports.