Man arrested for counterfeit money

The quick actions of a business owner in the Upper Keys led to the arrest of a Miami man for passing counterfeit bills.

56 year old Oscar Pulido walked in to the Salt Hair Salon at the 94 mile marker at 1:40 p.m. Tuesday and asked if the shop carried a particular hair product. The owner sold him the product, which cost $30; Pulido paid with a $100 bill, receiving $70 in change. As he left the shop, the owner checked the bill with a counterfeit detector pen which showed it to be a fake bill. She quickly checked to see what vehicle he was leaving in, getting a detailed description and a license tag number. She called the Sheriff’s Office with the information.

A notice to be on the lookout for the silver Hyundai was issued over police radios. A short time later, the car was stopped by Lt. Al Ramirez at the 90 mile marker of the highway. Pulido was driving and there was a woman in the passenger seat. The owner of the salon was brought to the scene of the traffic stop and identified Pulido and the man who gave her the fake $100 bill.

More counterfeit money was found in Pulido’s pants and in the vehicle itself. The fake bills all had the same two serial numbers on them. Pulido was placed under arrest. He was charged with  possession of 10 or more counterfeit bills and with fraud and he was booked into jail. The hair care products purchased with the fake bill, along with the legitimate currency taken by Pulido in return were all returned to the owner of the salon.