MOULTRIE, Ga. — A Moultrie man and woman arrested on forgery charges are accused of plotting to defraud her retail employer by passing a phony $100 bill.

The arrests came after an investigation of allegations made by a manager at the 215 Sixth St. S.E. Roses Department Store. The manager reported finding the counterfeit money in a cashier’s register on April 25.

“The guy went into Roses, purchases several items and paid for it with a counterfeit $100 bill,” Moultrie Police Department Sgt. Vernon Nobles said. “The cashier did not check the $100 bill like company policy (required).”

The cashier, identified as Sha’lee Rose Vinson, initially told police that she did not know who passed the counterfeit bill, Nobles said. Store video showed that the cashier took the bill without checking it for authenticity, he said.

“After investigating, it was determined that the cashier and the guy that came in and passed the bill were in it together,” Nobles said. “It was determined they conspired for him to come in and pay for items with counterfeit money and she wouldn’t check it.”

Video also showed that the same man, identified by police as James Michael Wilson, was allowed to leave with an RCA surround-sound bar without paying for it, Nobles said.

Wilson, 40, 4148 Hwy. 133 S., and Vinson, 22, 111 30th Ave. N.W., were each charged with felony forgery in connection with the $100 bill and a misdemeanor charge of theft by taking for the sound bar.

Nobles advised stores to check bills to ensure they are legitimate.

“Merchants need to really pay attention to the cash when it’s given to them,” he said.

There also have been instances where a store inadvertently accepted counterfeit money that later was given to a customer as change.