Man held on suspicion of passing counterfeit $100 bills

A Box Elder man was being held in the Hill County Detention Center this morning on suspicion he has been passing counterfeit money in the area.

Havre Police Chief Gabe Matosich said this morning Havre police are investigating whether Charles Earl Rainingbird, 51, is involved in passing the counterfeit $100 bills.

He said the investigation is ongoing.

Rainingbird was being held in the jail this morning on suspicion of forgery/counterfeit, theft and disorderly conduct.

Rainingbird was arrested Thursday at 3:11 p.m. after a caller from a Fourth Avenue business reported a fight that was going on in the alley, the dispatch log said.

Rainingbird and Steven Allen Stanley of Box Elder, 43, were each arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct.

Matosich said that, after the arrest, officers, who were investigating a theft, forgery or fraud case that was reported Saturday, Dec. 29, determined Rainingbird was a suspect.

Dec. 29 At 5:10 p.m. a caller from a First Street business reported to the Havre Police Department a man was attempting to use a counterfeit $100 bill to make a purchase

The Havre Police Department issued a press release Monday saying the Havre Police Department had received several calls of people trying to pay for items with fake $100 bills. It added that officers have collected the fake money and all businesses should be cognizant of the fake money and should use counterfeit banknote detection pens on the money.

Anyone with information about the counterfeit money is asked to call the Havre Police Department at 265-4361 or Crime Stoppers at 265-4444.