Police are seeking the public’s help to identify four people who ate at a popular Gloucester Township restaurant in May, then paid their bill using fake money meant for the movies.
According to the Gloucester Township Police Department, the four suspects entered Villari’s Lakeside Restaurant in Sicklerville at about 7:32 p.m. on May 23. They ordered and consumed about $120 worth of food, then left the eatery in what police described as a suspicious and coordinated manner.
Surveillance video shows two suspects exiting the restaurant’s front doors at 8:40 p.m. and entering what appears to be a silver or gray sedan, police said. Moments later, the other two suspects were captured running out a side door and entering the same vehicle before quickly fleeing the area.
Left behind on their table were six counterfeit $20 bills clearly marked as money that would be used as a movie prop and not legal tender.
One suspect, a male wearing a white shirt, black hat and glasses, was seen on camera holding the fake currency while entering the restaurant. Investigators believe he may be linked to additional counterfeit incidents currently under investigation across South Jersey.
Police have released a Crime Stoppers video showing the incident and urge anyone with information to come forward. The video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/AYf1iOwx-j8.
If you recognize any of the individuals involved or have information related to the incident, contact the township police department at (856) 228-4500, or submit anonymous information through the Crime Tip Line at (856) 842-5560 or online at https://gtpolice.com/tips.
Anonymous tip lines are not monitored 24/7. In an emergency, or if you are witnessing a crime in progress, call 911 immediately. The restaurant case remains under investigation. For updates, visit https://gtpolice.com/news/article/2320
