Counterfeit trio nabbed out of town

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GONZALES — Three suspects charged in connection with the passing of counterfeit bills in Gonzales as well as several other cities are in custody in Gregg County Jail.

At 11 p.m. March 16, Officer Gabriel Trevino was dispatched to the Subway Restaurant on St. Joseph in reference to a report of two counterfeit $10 bills being passed, Capt. Allen Taylor said.

Witnesses said the suspect was a white male and driving a dark Chevy Cavalier. He was wearing a shirt with the word “dope” across the front, Taylor said.

Forty-five minutes later, Officer Trey Tunis was dispatched to the Circle K store on Sarah DeWitt in reference to more counterfeit bills — these being three $10 bills. Taylor said the same suspects were involved in both incidents, and added that other businesses recently reported the passing of $5, $10 and $20 counterfeit bills.

The vehicle used in the transactions was tracked down, and its previous owner said the suspects had bought it from her. She said some of the money used in the transaction was counterfeit, according to Taylor.

“She had filed a report with the Lavaca, AR Police Department,” he said. “During the investigation [we] learned that three individuals — two males and one female — were arrested on March 24 by the Kilgore Police Department.”

Gonzales Police learned that the three suspects had been caught passing fake bills in Kilgore as well, and that evidence was recovered from the car indicating the suspects were manufacturing the bills themselves.

“Right away I noticed that one of the suspects, George William Dubson, was involved in two of our local cases,” Taylor said. He added that the other two subjects — Troy Michael Robino and Krystal Leann Sweeny, were linked to Dubson in the other incidents.

Taylor also said the local businesses recently affected involved counterfeit bills that had the same serial numbers as those used at Subway and Circle K.

On April 20, probable cause warrant affidavits were issued for Dubson, Robino and Sweeny, charging all three with two counts of engaging in criminal activity. County Judge David Bird issued warrants for their arrest. The warrants were forwarded to the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office, where the suspects remain in custody.

“Through the investigation it was found that the three were also involved in other incidents in other towns, passing counterfeit bills,” Taylor said. “Those agencies have filed charges against them as well.”

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