BRIDGEPORT – A local college student was charged with passing counterfeit money at the cafeteria at Housatonic Community College.
State police said David Dawson, 19, of Trumbull, initially claimed he got the phony money from his mother, a Danbury lawyer, but later confessed it had come from his drug dealer.
Dawson was charged with first-degree forgery and was released after posting $10,000 bond.
State police said Dawson had handed a fake $20 to the cashier at the cafeteria to buy a soda. After holding it up to the light for a few moments the cashier realized the bill was fake and notified a campus security officer. Police said when they arrived Dawson surrendered two more fake $20 bills.
After giving officers a story about getting the money from his mother, attorney Camille Degalan, police said Dawson admitted that he had met his drug dealer downtown and had borrowed the money from him unaware that it was phony.
“I didn’t know the money was fake. I did not inspect it and I had no intention on passing counterfeit money,” police said he told them.