Last Thursday, February 21, the Oak Ridge Police Department arrested five suspects following a fraudulent transaction with counterfeit money.

Officers were notified by a local business suspected counterfeit bills had been used to pay for items in the store. An employee of the business was able to provide a description of the suspects’ vehicle. The vehicle was spotted just minutes later, still in the immediate area near South Tulane Avenue; an Oak Ridge Police officer initiated a traffic stop.

The suspects were found in possession of counterfeit $100 and $50 bills. All five were arrested and taken to the Anderson County Detention Facility. Charges filed against some of the suspects include criminal simulation, theft of property, criminal conspiracy and/or criminal impersonation, in addition to other crimes. The names of the suspects are listed below:

• Byron Alexander
• Marlon Guerrier
• Taahir Ahmed Hardeman
• Edward Hood
• Shantavious Patrick

All five suspects are from the Atlanta area, and investigators recovered evidence leading them to believe the group visited other areas, including Knox County and Cleveland, Tennessee, where they may have also used counterfeit money. Any law-enforcement agency that believes these individuals may be connected to a crime in another jurisdiction may contact the Oak Ridge Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at (865) 425-4399.

Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Anderson County 7^th Judicial Crime Task Force, Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service.