An alert Panera Bread employee recognized counterfeit “bread” being passed by a customer and helped stop a forged currency crime spree.

On September 15th at 10:43 a.m. deputies responded to Stafford Market Place for a fraud at Panera Bread. Staff advised the suspect had attempted to pass a bogus bill for his order. The suspect was unsuccessful with his transaction and left behind the forged $100, leaving in a grey Lexus.

The suspect vehicle was quickly located unoccupied near Jersey Mike’s Subs. Sergeant A.I. Assur canvassed nearby businesses, correctly guessing the suspect would be passing more counterfeit C-notes. Sgt. Assur’s hunch paid off as he located the suspect holding an iced Starbucks’s coffee inside Jersey Mike’s.

As the suspect exited the sub shop, Sgt. Assur approached him and asked to speak with him. The suspect evidently knew the jig was up and sprinted away, along the front of the strip mall toward Best Buy. Sgt. Assur bolted behind the suspect in hot pursuit, shouting for the suspect to stop, all the while keeping other deputies apprised of his location and maintaining his issued Stratton Sheriff Style Straw Hat squarely on his head, while the suspect tossed his coffee onto the sidewalk.

The suspect continued dashing through the shopping center and passed by Five Guys without stopping for a delicious bag of fries. The foot pursuit continued all the way back to the suspect’s vehicle, where Deputy C.M. Ramirez was stationed. The suspect was ordered to the ground and initially complied. However, as Deputy Ramirez handcuffed the suspect, he resisted and received a dose of OC Spray to complete the arrest.

The suspect was treated for the spray and identified as Cinquan Cartledge, 28, of Washington, D.C. Sgt. Assur determined fictitious funds had been passed at Starbucks and Bob Evans as well. In all seven ersatz greenbacks were seized. You can almost see the look of disappointment on Ben Franklin’s face.

Cartledge was charged with possession of fraudulent currency, uttering fraudulent currency and obstruction. He was held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

This is an ongoing investigation. Businesses are asked to check their $100 bills to ensure they were not victims of this suspect.