Casper Man Arrested For Paying Stripper With Counterfeit Money; DA Wants More Information
A Casper man was arrested Tuesday night for paying for lap dances with counterfeit money at Racks Night Club, according to Natrona County Sheriff's Office records.
Sendgen Springer, 23, was charged with theft of service and forgery/counterfeiting, according to Sheriff's Office records.
However, District Attorney Mike Blonigen said the case will be sent back to the Sheriff's Office for more investigation.
His office needs to be able to prove that Springer knowingly passed the $200 in bogus bills in order to prosecute the case, Blonigen said.
He doubted whether the U.S. Secret Service, which is in charge of investigating counterfeiting, will get involved in the case, he added.
The case started at 11:24 p.m. Tuesday when sheriff's officers responded to Racks, 1910 Talc Road, for a report of receiving counterfeit $100 and $50 bills, according to an affidavit filed in Natrona County Circuit Court.
An officer contacted Springer who was intoxicated and sitting in a station wagon. Springer said he was in the car because the bouncer told him he owed the bar $95.
Springer denied knowing the bills were counterfeit, but said he saw the bouncer say they were legitimate. The officer confiscated Springer's keys.
The Racks employee who reported the counterfeit bills said Springer entered the bar between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., and paid for the admission with a $5 bill.
He went to the bar, drank, and paid with small denomination bills.
Springer asked a dancer for a lap dance, and paid $25 for it. He gave her a $50 bill, and she took it to the employee to cash it and he received $25 in exchange.
He then asked for three more dances, paid for them with another $50 bill and the $25 he received from the employee. The dancer gave all that money to the employee.
Springer went to the bar, and asked for change for a $100 bill in four $10 bills and three $20 bills. "Springer acted very nervous and appeared suspicious or intoxicated," according to the affidavit.
The employee said the paper did not feel right and he compared it to another $100 bill. He likewise looked at the two $50 bills used to pay the dancer.
The employee asked for the change for the $100 bill, but Springer returned $95 because he spent $5 on a drink.
Springer was asked to leave the bar, and the dancer "was short $100 from four lap dances at $25 each."
The dancer corroborated the employee's account, according to the affidavit.
Springer denied knowing the money was counterfeit, that he cashed a check on Friday and received the $100 bills from the bank. He did not want to answer other questions.
He was arrested and taken to the county jail.