Racketeering ring busted in Savannah

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Monica Miller (Source: Savannah-Chatham Metro Police)

Tyler Murphy (Source: Savannah-Chatham Metro Police)

Necshelle Smart (Source: Savannah-Chatham Metro Police)

Shauawquinette Smart (Source: Savannah-Chatham Metro Police)

By Michelle Paynter - bio | email

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Police have arrested four members of the same family, for spending thousands of dollars in counterfeit money.

Savannah-Chatham Metro Police arrested Necshelle Smart, her daughter Shauawquinette Smart, her son Tyler Murphy and her cousin Monica Miller for racketeering and forgery.

Detective Alycia Rice says the suspects spent the money at the Target store on East Victory Drive and returned the merchandise to the Target at the Savannah Mall.

Rice says they almost got away with it.

Rice says she now has surveillance video of all four of them spending the funny money. In one of the videos police say Shauwquinette Smart unfolded a wad of counterfeit cash to buy a Rock Band video game.

Now she's is in the Chatham County Jail, along with three of her family members. They were went before a judge Thursday afternoon.

Detective Rice showed WTOC some of the money used in this racketeering ring. It was all $20 and $50 bills, with the same serial numbers.

"It was definitely somewhat of an enterprise," said Rice. "They were definitely organized enough to know, we buy it here and return it there."

Detective Rice says the quartet racked up more than $2,000 in purchases and returned about $800 worth.

"There were all kinds of things they bought, TVs, printers, phones, shampoo, washing powder, it varied," she said.

After the ninth purchase in as many days, police say the loss prevention officer at Target followed the suspects to their car and got a tag number. As for whomever made this funny money, police believe they're still out there.

Police say Target does not allow their cashiers to use the special pens that will detect counterfeit money. So the store didn't catch on right away. When they did, they called police and that's when one of the manager followed the suspects to their car.

Police say the car belongs to the mother, Necshelle Smart. She's been convicted of forgery before. A judge denied her bond and denied bond for her cousin Monica Miller.

Necshelle Smart's 22-year-old daughter, Shauwquinette, was granted a $2,500 bond. Her 18-year-old son, Tyler Murphy, got a $5,000 bond. Their next court date is February 8.