Two Men Accused Of Using Fake $100 Bills In Vernon Hills: Police

VERNON HILLS, IL — Lake County State's Attorney Michael G. Nerheim and the Vernon Hills Police Department are warning business owners in Vernon Hills and surrounding areas about fraudulent bills after two men were charged Tuesday on accusations they tried passing off fake money at five businesses in Vernon Hills. Four criminal felony counts of forgery was approved by the Lake County State's Attorney's Office against Filbert A. Elonge, 25, of the 2700 block of S. Embers Lane in Arlington Heights, while two criminal felony counts of forgery were approved against Vernon B. Taylor, 25, of the 6900 block of Cornell Avenue in Chicago, according to a release from the state's attorney's office.

According to the release, the U.S. Secret Service joined in the investigation after employees at a business in the 700 block of North Milwaukee Avenue called Vernon Hills police around 4 p.m. Monday, reporting that someone just tried to buy something by using a fake $100 bill.

The employees provided a description of the car used by the suspect with the fake bill, according to the release. Vernon Hills police spotted the car on Townline Road a short time later and pulled it over, officials added.

Officers were able to recover several receipts inside the car from other transactions Elonge and Taylor had made, and officers went to those businesses and recovered additional fraudulent $100 bills, according to the release. Officers determined that Taylor used fake bills at two businesses, and Elonge used fake bills at three others, according to the release.

"Business owners are always urged to carefully inspect money passed to them by the public to ensure counterfeit bills are not circulated," Nerheim said in the release. "Thankfully, businesses in Vernon Hills that were visited quickly noticed the fraudulent bills and the two individuals involved were quickly apprehended."

Elonge and Taylor each appeared in front of Lake County Associate Judge Paul D. Novak Tuesday morning. Elonge's bond was set at $30,000 cash, and his court date is Aug. 1, while Taylor's bond was set at $20,000 cash, and his court date is Aug. 2.

“The arrest of two offenders actively engaged in a string of crimes would not have been possible without the public’s help," Vernon Hill Police Chief Patrick L. Kreis said in the release. "Not only did alert employees identify the suspicious currency, but they called 9-1-1 immediately and provided a vehicle description, enabling a nearby officer to locate the suspects.”

Elonge and Taylor face between two and five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections if they're found guilty at trial, officials said.

Patch will update this story as new information comes in.