Have you been hoodwinked?

Local police official: Counterfeiting getting more sophisticated

July 12, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

It’s true that money doesn’t grow on trees.
But for some people, it can pop out of their computer printer.
Counterfeit currency is an issue local law enforcement authorities say they see on a regular basis in the Greenwood area, and it is a problem that is growing each year with advances in computer software and printing technology.
“Counterfeiting is getting more sophisticated. It’s becoming difficult for most people to tell the difference,” said Capt. Kevin Fallaw, with the Greenwood Police Department. “You have to inspect the bills very closely.”The most common denominations of counterfeit U.S. currency passed in the Greenwood area are $5 and $20 bills, law enforcement officials said, though a few $100 bills appear every once in a while.
“Part of the game is knowing where to pass it,” said Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office criminal investigator Wayne Findley.
Convenience stores, bars and large department stores, Findley said, are prime targets for the crime.
“They try it anywhere they know will be really busy or where a clerk is distracted by lots of customers,” Findley said.
Bars are especially problematic, he said, because of low light settings that can make it difficult to see the bills.
There are subtle differences between a majority of counterfeit currency and authentic bills, and Findley said the paper used to print real money can feel slightly different than fake bills.
Color and size variations are other signs of counterfeit bills.
“The paper used for printing money is a specific type of paper. You can usually feel and see a difference if you examine it closely,” he said.
To combat the problem of counterfeiting, the U.S. government has changed the look of the nation’s currency over the years, adding a number of different security methods, including colored ink, hidden watermarks and highly detailed images.
“The government has done an awesome job trying to stay ahead of the game,” Fallaw said.
But as new digital technology allows counterfeiters to create sophisticated bill replicas at home, other detection methods have been developed to help businesses stay safe from “funny money.”
The counterfeit detection pen, Fallaw said, has been one of the best developments for businesses in the fight against counterfeiting.
But with a rush to complete one customer’s sale to make it to another, some employees can miss those differences and place the fake money in the cash register. Findley said some of the currency can make it all the way to the bank before it is discovered, though a majority of the counterfeit bills are caught by business managers or clerks when they count money at the end of the day.
Even if the business can’t determine who supplied the fake bill, investigators will “work the case until it is dead,” Findley said. Viewing store surveillance video can help business owners and authorities determine who passed the bill.
When someone is convicted, the penalties for the crime are severe, officials said.
Counterfeiting is investigated as a forgery and is a felony offense that can carry a prison sentence of three to 10 years and a fine, depending on the amount of currency involved.
The U.S. Secret Service, which investigates counterfeiting and other types of financial fraud, provides assistance to local law enforcement agencies investigating cases of fake U.S. currency. Findley said the currency confiscated on a local level is sent to the Secret Service, which can track serial numbers on the bills to determine if other counterfeit bills with the same number have been used in cities across the nation.
“We stay in contact with the Secret Service because they know what series of numbers are circulating and what numbers should be in circulation,” Fallaw said. “They’ve been really helpful in giving us other indicators (to detect counterfeit currency) whenever we call.”

If the price is too right, you might
have bought knock-off merchandise

July 12, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

If you’ve ever been to an open-air jockey lot or flea market, you’ve no doubt passed a vendor who has those haute couture handbags, designer clothes and name brand shoes for sale at amazingly low prices.
But even when the items look and feel like the real thing, complete with trademark logos or stamps, the surprising price tags should be a giveaway that the merchandise could be nothing more than fashion Fool’s Gold.
Counterfeit merchandise is big business in some areas of the state, and on June 12, Gov. Mark Sanford signed into action tougher laws to deal with people selling fake goods.
This week, South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond announced that a counterfeit sting in the Rock Hill area netted more than $466,000 in fake goods, including purses, hats, jeans, shoes, T-shirts, golf shirts, sweat suits, CDs and DVDs bearing counterfeit marks from several well-known companies, a release from Hammond’s office said.
Local law enforcement officials said counterfeit operations of that size are not common in Greenwood, though investigators do see cases in this area.
According to the South Carolina Legislature’s Web site, state law says it is “unlawful for a person to knowingly and willfully transport, transfer, distribute, sell or otherwise dispose of ... an item having a counterfeit mark on it or in connection with it.” It is also illegal to possess items with the intent to sell or distribute them.
Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office criminal investigator Wayne Findley said investigators primarily receive complaints about counterfeit CDs and DVDs, adding that a recent case the office investigated involved a man selling bootleg movies from a booth at a jockey lot on Dixie Drive.
Findley said the man had a display of movies for customers to chose from, and, after they made their selection, he would burn a copy of the movie on a computer at his booth. The legitimacy of the operation, Findley said, was obviously in question, and an anonymous caller reported the man to authorities.
“Some of the movies were still in the theaters,” Findley said, “and you could tell (the covers) had been photocopied.”
The sheriff’s office typically does not perform sweeps of local businesses and flea markets to check for counterfeit merchandise, Findley said, though the Vice, Illegal Drugs and Organized Crime unit (VIDOC) could investigate businesses suspected of carrying the goods.
One red flag that should alert buyers to counterfeit merchandise is price, Greenwood Police Cheif Gerald Brooks said.
“Generally, that’s how cases are broken,” he said. “Someone realizes that (the merchandise) can’t be sold at that price.”
The Secretary of State’s Office can also assist local law enforcement agencies with the investigation and confiscation of counterfeit merchandise, the agency’s Web site said. In 2004-05, the agency’s trademarks division assisted law enforcement in the confiscation of more than $2,300,000 in counterfeit goods and the arrests of 24 people for trafficking in counterfeit goods.
Depending on the value of the counterfeit merchandise, the person could be guilty of a felony and subject to three to 10 years in prison with fines of up to $25,000.
Findley said civil lawsuits can also result in counterfeit cases, particularly ones that involve bootleg movies or music. He said large operations can attract the attention of the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America, who can lodge hefty fines against the person for copyright infringement.
While poor quality or low prices make some counterfeit merchandise obvious to buyers, some items are carefully disguised so that only trained eyes can spot the differences between the fakes and the real things.
Palmetto Jewelry and Pawn owner John Murray said counterfeit Rolex watches show up occasionally at pawn and jewelry businesses, and he said manufacturers of the fake watches try their best to make them look real.
“You’ve got to be familiar with watches and you’ve got to know what to look for,” Murray said, adding that the Rolex’s serial number is a key piece of information. “Counterfeit ones won’t have one.”
Murray said fake jewelry stamped as 14-karat gold can sometimes be brought in by unsuspecting customers. Testing equipment, he said, is necessary to keep fake merchandise from making it to the shelves. But with more than 20 years in the jewelry business, Murray said he can usually spot the fake items before they are tested.
“It’s really more of an eye-catching thing,” Murray said. “Some people do a good job on it, so you have to know how to test it to make sure it is real.”
Murray said he normally doesn’t contact authorities when fake jewelry is brought to the store to be pawned, adding that he just refuses to buy it from the customer.
“A majority of the time, that person has been a victim also,” Murray said, adding that the person has often bought the jewelry from someone who claimed it was real.
Counterfeit goods also harm the owner of the trademark, Findley said, which can, in turn, hurt the average American consumer. The high-priced items, he said, are usually priced that way because they are valuable and in limited supply. When cheap knock-offs show up on the market, the item’s value is eroded.
“It can break down the structure of the economics of our country,” Findley said. “Everything is based on ownership, and the ownership belongs to the company or person that put out the merchandise. When you violate that to sell something cheaper, it costs people in the long run anyway because companies, to make up for the loss, have to raise prices.”

‘Wally World’ adventure

Local teens spend 24 hours in store that never sleeps

July 12, 2006

By LESLIE DRAFFIN
Index-Journal intern

Customers probably did not notice two male teenagers playing video games in the electronics department of Wal-Mart Monday afternoon, but store employees sure did.
“We got into trouble for taking pictures inside the store,” Tyler Leinbach, a recent graduate of Greenwood Christian School said.
“Yeah,” added George Schwab, also a 2006 graduate of Greenwood Christian, “but they said if we took them outside it was OK.”
So, Leinbach and Schwab moved the “headquarters” of their 24-hour adventure to the garden section of Wal-Mart, documenting their activities along the way.
“Every time an hour passed by, we would take a picture of ourselves,” Leinbach said.
The guys said they spent a lot of time in the electronics department playing Nintendo because it was free, but ventured into the arcade to play “the claw” with friends who were visiting. “We had about 20 people come by to see us during the day,” he said.
“One of our friends is really good at the claw, and we won four stuffed animals. Well, we lost one because it fell out of my pocket, but we did have four,” Leinbach said.
Mike Vaughn, area director of Young Life of Greenwood, visited the guys in Wal-Mart.
“I heard they had a project they were working on and, so, I had to come see for myself,” Vaughn said.
Vaughn said he regularly participated in games of capture the flag and helped stage bean dip parties with the guys but had never experienced anyone spending 24 hours in Wal-Mart.
“I can’t think of a better way to spend 24 hours, myself,” Vaughn said.
Along with playing video games and winning stuffed animals, the guys spent time in the shoe department.
“There are benches in there that are comfortable to sit on,” Leinbach said.
They also walked around the store and found some amazing things.
“There’s this game in the sporting goods section that’s like pool except with golf balls and golf clubs,” Schwab said. “I think it’s called Golfer’s Putter pool, or something like that,” Leinbach added.
The guys said they bought dinner at the deli on Monday night and ate Pop-Tarts for breakfast Tuesday. Schwab also purchased a movie during his stay and both spent money on the arcade.
Schwab said he could probably live in Wal-Mart since it has everything you need, but decided “it would get pretty expensive.”
Having been friends since the seventh grade, Leinbach and Schwab began their adventures last summer when they decided to hike six miles from Schwab’s home to their school for a campout.
“We hiked to Greenwood Christian and then set up a tent in the field out there,” Leinbach noted.
Last fall, the guys camped out with several friends in the front yard of a teacher’s home.
“We went to our Bible teacher’s house and camped out in his front yard — in the middle of the night without him knowing,” Schwab said. “Then my mom came the next morning and cooked us all breakfast,” Leinbach added.
“We’re planning on going and camping out there again this summer since Mr. Johnson said it was OK as long as he got another free breakfast,” Leinbach said.
Camping together with friends during July or August might be one of the last adventures these two friends have together for a while since both are going away to college in the fall. Leinbach will be attending Covenant College and plans to study Sociology. Schwab has decided to study Computer Science and stay a little closer to home by attending Clemson University.

Abandoned baby law not without restrictions

July 12, 2006

By JOANIE BAKER
Index-Journal staff writer

Six years ago, Self Regional Medical Center became the first hospital in South Carolina to accept a baby who was voluntarily left by its parents under a law that protects them from charges of abandonment.
Under the Save Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, more commonly known as Daniel’s Law, someone can leave an unharmed baby younger than 30 days with a person at a hospital or hospital outpatient facility without being prosecuted for abandonment.
The law was enacted to protect babies from tragedies that often accompany abandonment, such as the case where baby Daniel survived after being buried in a landfill soon after his birth.
But the law is not without its restrictions. Just this week, a woman was arrested and charged after she dropped off a baby girl she claimed was a friend’s at Upstate Carolina Medical Center in Gaffney. Not long after the child care worker left her child, the baby tested positive for drugs, WSPA-TV reported.
Hannah Lauren Jolly, 20, was protected from prosecution for abandonment because of Daniel’s Law, but state law can allow for prosecution of mothers who use drugs while pregnant. Jolly has been charged with unlawful child neglect.
Eighth Judicial Circuit Solicitor Jerry Peace said he would not want to discourage any parent from doing what is right by making them think they will be charged if they turn over their baby. He said the most common instances of harm are related to physical and drug abuse, and that each case must be looked at individually.
“We have to look at each fact to determine what the right thing is to do to protect the children,” Peace said.
Since the 6 pound, 11 ounce baby was left at Self Regional by its parents, one other baby was left at the hospital about three years ago, hospital spokesman Dan Branyon said.
Though it was enacted in 2000, Daniel’s Law has been amended to allow parents the alternative to leave their baby at a law enforcement agency, a fire station, an emergency medical services station or a staffed house of worship.
The officials who receive the baby are to try to obtain as much medical and identity information as possible, though there is no obligation by the people who drop the child off to disclose their identity. Any identity given by the person is kept confidential by the hospital unless a court determines the immunity provisions do not apply.
The hospital is then to contact the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to ensure the infant is not a missing person. The Department of Social Services takes custody of the baby, and a petition must be filed within 48 hours after obtaining custody alleging that the infant has been abandoned, that the court should not try to preserve or reunify the family and that the termination of parental rights is in the best interest of the family. A hearing on the petition to determine the custody of the infant takes place between 30 and 60 days after the child is received.
Peace said the law was made in the best interest of abandoned children.
“It’s a lot better leaving them at a hospital than leaving them on a corner somewhere,” he said.

Obituaries

Berta Day

Memorial services for Alberta Perrin Day are 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Main Street United Methodist Church, officiated by the Rev. James Dennis and at 3:30 at Asbury Hall, Wesley Commons, officiated by the Rev. Carol Peppers-Wray.
Memorials may be made to Main Street United Methodist Church, 211 N. Main St., Greenwood, SC 29646 or Wesley Commons, 1110 Marshall Road, Greenwood, SC 29646.
Harley Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Celia Ann Robinson

McCORMICK — Celia Ann Dawson Robinson, 90, of 204 Holiday Road, died Tuesday, July 11, 2006 at McCormick Health Care Center.
Services will be announced by Richie Funeral Home, Abbeville.

Earl O’Neal Weeks Jr.

HODGES — Earl O’Neal Weeks Jr., 35, died Saturday, July 8, 2006 at Gaston Memorial Hospital, Gastonia, N.C.
A native of Augusta, Ga., he was a son of Earl O’Neal Weeks Sr. and Nancy Weeks. He was a member of Pine Hill Baptist Church and attended Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church in Greenwood. He was employed with Duke Power and was a member of Southern Roads Motorcycle Group.
Survivors include his wife, Shane Weeks; three children, Brandon O’Neal Weeks, Justin Ryan Weeks and Joshua Mahlon Weeks; his parents; a brother, Stephen Dale Weeks of Stapleton, Ga.
Services are 10 a.m. Friday at Poteet Funeral Homes South Chapel, conducted by Pastors Leland Sandy Scott and Craig Hughes. Burial is in McBean Church Cemetery.
Visitation is 6-8 Thursday at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church Family Life Center, 509 W. Kirksey Drive, Greenwood, SC 29646.
Poteet Funeral Homes, Augusta, Ga., is in charge.

Opinion

Reparations are unfair to everyone living today

July 12, 2006

The movement to make the government pay reparations to descendants of slaves continues, and reports are the idea is gaining support around the U. S. However, there are many black Americans who, along with many whites, don’t see any sense in setting such a precedent so long after the fact.
That’s understandable. History and time dictate that no one living today had anything remotely to do with slavery. Why should they be held accountable for something somebody else did all those years ago?
The compensation would, of course, come from taxes paid by everyone, including black taxpayers. Should they pay for the past, too? Or, would a special tax be levied on whites to raise the funds? That isn’t likely.

NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK at it, it’s wrong, and, as they say, two wrongs don’t make a right. Furthermore, such a precedent would sooner or later be commandeered by some native Americans and a variety of other groups that have suffered or perceived suffering because of what society has done at various times throughout history.
It’s an idea fraught with unforeseen perils that could be the biggest threat to stability in the history of the world. If anything, it just might be a calculated undertaking by some to concoct a get-rich scheme at somebody else’s expense. It was noted, when some churches in South Carolina apologized for slavery, that such apologies could be used to support demands for reparations. Since then, nothing’s changed to indicate that’s not the ultimate goal of some who want to profit from the guilt of those who should have no guilt ... black and white.

Editorial expression in this feature represents our own views.
Opinions are limited to this page.