Crime & Public Safety.
A Philadelphia man is accused by Central Bucks Regional Police with using a counterfeit $100 bill to pay for three slices of pizza at a New Britain Borough pizza shop in March.
Tariq Naheem Burrell, 22, of 100 block of E Washington Lane, was charged July 15 with felony forgery, misdemeanor charges of theft by deception and receiving stolen property, and summary retail theft, according to charging documents, stemming from a March 21, 2024 incident at Nico’s Pizza, 416 Town Center.
Police responded to the pizza place on March 21 for a report of counterfeit money used the day prior, per the affidavit. Upon arrival to Nico’s Pizza, an employee showed police a $100 bill that was counterfeit, police said. The business owner confirmed it was counterfeit with Penn Community Bank in New Britain Borough, per the complaint.
Police said the bill appeared to be fake due to it being smaller than a normal bill, having a different texture of paper, and an inconsistent color.
The $100 was used to pay for $13.25 worth of food, police said.
Witnesses said the man who paid with the bill was described as a Black male in his late 20s, wearing a brown Hustler’s Incorporated sweatshirt, police said, identified as Burrell.
Burrell, police allege, handed over the counterfeit $100 around 12:45 p.m. the day prior, receiving $86.75 in change. Then, police allege, he told the employee he was owed $6 more. After a brief disagreement, the employee gave Burrell the $6, police said, and noticed Burrell “had a lot of $20 and thought it was odd he wouldn’t have used a lower bill.”
During an investigation, a picture of Burrell was posted on various law enforcement sharing networks, police said. Lower Southampton Police emailed Central Bucks Regional Police to notify them that their suspect was Burrell, per the complaint.
Police said the witnesses at Nico’s Pizza identified Burrell as the offender through a driver’s license photograph.
The U.S. Secret Service inspected the counterfeit bill, and determined it was indeed fake due to the paper not being authentic and security features were not consistent with the date of the bill, police said.
Burrell was jailed on 10% of $20,000 cash bail following an Aug. 1 arraignment, but as amended to nonmonetary bail and Burrell was released on Aug. 8, per court records.
All charges were waived at an Aug. 13 preliminary hearing, per court records. A formal arraignment in Bucks County Common Pleas court is scheduled for Sept. 13 at noon.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
