Couple tried to pass phony $100 bill at Brownstown Twp. bar

A middle-aged couple bellied up to the bar at the Big Bear Lodge in Brownstown Township for daiquiris and dinner.

“They weren’t unruly at all. They seemed to be on a little date. They seemed very normal until it was time to pay,” said Robin Willibey, manager at the Big Bear Lodge.

The couple ordered one more drink to split and asked for the check.  They put a $100 bill in the check holder, but the money had the words “For Motion Picture Use Only” printed on it. It was worthless.

"Clearly a phony $100 bill," said Willibey.

The bar, like most establishments, has a protocol when it comes to big bills. It didn’t take long to figure out what was handed to them was a fake.

“The bartender brought the $100 bill to me in the back office and I called Brownstown Police."

The jig was up. When confronted, the couple ultimately paid with real money. However, time was running out, and the couple tried their best to get away.

Before they left for good, there was one more thing they wanted to do. They took silverware, went into the bathroom and flushed it down the toilet to create a diversion. They then left the restaurant to get away. By the time police arrived, they were gone.

"Karma comes around. So be careful" said Willibey.

The concern at the restaurant is that the fake money is being passed around town. In the end, it’s the consumer that ends up paying for it.

"Beware,” said Willibey. ”Use your money markers, and pay attention to those $100 bills."