Two Jailed After Caught With $43,000 in Fake Cash

Two men are in custody in the Rio Grande Valley after police found they had $43,000 in counterfeit $100 bills.

Cameron County prosecutors say 27-year-old Lavarus Armstead and 33-year-old Brandon Neville Smith are charged with evading arrest and forgery. The two were apprehended after leading police on a car chase that began in Brownsville and ended about 25 miles away.

District attorney spokeswoman Melissa Zamora tells The Brownsville Herald the chase started when police tried to pull over their car for a traffic violation. Smith jumped out at one point when the car stopped. Armstead sped off but eventually stopped again and also tried to run away on foot.

Police recovered a discarded bag containing the bogus cash. The bills all had the same serial number.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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