George Franklin Lantz

WARSAW — A Warsaw man is being charged with counterfeiting after he attempted to exchange a fake $100 bill at 1st Source Bank.

George R. Lantz, 48, 506 Southside Drive, Warsaw, is being charged with counterfeiting, a level 6 felony, and possession of methamphetamine, a level 6 felony.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, an officer with the Warsaw Police Department resounded to a counterfeiting report from 1st Source Bank on July 21. The officer spoke to an employee who advised Lantz had come in to exchange a $100 bill because it was “worn and tattered and nobody would accept it.”

The employee advised the officer that she immediately noticed the words “for motion picture use only” on the front and “cinema use only” on the back. The employee told Lantz the bill was counterfeit and she could not help him. Lantz left the bank.

The affidavit states that the officer went to the last know address of Lantz and located him there. The officer asked Lantz to come to the station for an interview. Lantz obliged but stated he needed a ride. Before allowing Lantz into the vehicle, the officer searched him. During his search the officer located a clear plastic tube with a white residue in Lantz’s pocket. The residue tested positive for meth.

The interview was conducted and Lantz stated that he had received the $100 bill on July 20 for helping someone move. He then stated he had taken in to the bank to exchange it.

Lantz was booked into the Kosciusko County Jail and released on his own recognizance.