A Westbury man has been arrested for allegedly using counterfeit money at two different stores last month.
On December 6, 2025 at 1:15 p.m., Richard Lopez entered Famous Footwear located at 3571 Hempstead Turnpike and proceeded to purchase two pairs of shoes. The subject allegedly paid with what was believed to be U.S. currency. It was later determined that he used counterfeit bills. Nassau County police said he was also responsible for allegedly using counterfeit bills at Famous Footwear, located at 1020 Old Country Road in East Garden City.
After a thorough investigation was conducted, police arrested Lopez on December 31, 2025 and reportedly found him to be in possession of additional counterfeit bills at the time of his arrest.
Police charged Lopez with 16 counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the First Degree and two counts of Petit Larceny. He was scheduled to be arraigned on January 1, 2026 at First District Court in Hempstead.
Anyone who feels they may have been the victim of a similar incident should contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS or call 911. All callers will remain anonymous.