Couple accused of possessing $7,000 in counterfeit cash

Two Glenwood, Ark., residents have been accused of forgery for allegedly possessing $7,000 in counterfeit money.

James Martin Sample, 31, and his wife, Victoria Lynn Sample, 28, have been charged with felony counts of first-degree forgery and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both have been released from jail after posting their bonds.

A June 29 trial date has been scheduled for the suspects in Pike County Circuit Court in Murfreesboro.

The investigation started when James Sample complained to Glenwood Police Officer Justin Babbitt about Victoria Sample for reportedly being “on drugs” and he feared for his children, according to the arrest affidavit.

During the discussions about Victoria Sample, James Sample handed Babbitt a counterfeit $100 bill with serial number FF 95594731A and said the fake money was for the Monopoly game.

Babbitt showed the $100 counterfeit bill to Glenwood Police Chief Clark Kinzler.

“Upon close inspection of the bill, it is clearly a computer-generated copy of an actual $100 bill. It clearly states this note is legal tender for all debts, public and private,” according to the arrest affidavit.

“The bill in no way indicates it is a copy, Monopoly money, or not represented to be legal tender. The bill is obviously counterfeit in nature due to its high gloss sheen of the photo quality paper that it was produced on,” the arrest affidavit said.

The next day, the police received a search order and found stacks of the $100 bills in the master bedroom, master bathroom, living room, garage and James Sample’s truck.

James Sample said he purchased the money online to teach his children to count denominations of money.

“Mr. Sample contended that the money was play money for his kids. He had made one order and believed it would have been $10,000 worth of counterfeit U.S. currency,” the report said.

Victoria Sample also said the bills were play money for the children.

The husband and wife admitted James Sample had handed the counterfeit bills out to the Head Start school class.

Authorities say they also found several drug paraphernalia items, including syringes, razor blades, a glass pipe and two sets of digital scales.