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Couple arrested on counterfeit charges

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Police found a stash of counterfeit $100 bills in a Costa Mesa hotel room last month after a couple tried to pass fake currency at a Huntington Beach store, according to a federal indictment.

Marcus Redick and Lashana Gorrell allegedly bought hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise with fake bills, but cashiers noticed something strange about the $100 notes used to make the purchases, according to an affidavit filed by a U.S. Secret Service agent on Jan. 9.

On Jan. 7, Redick and Gorrell spent more than $1,000 in two separate transactions at a Target store on Adams Avenue in Huntington Beach, according to the document.

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Redick spent $612, using four fake $100 bills, to buy speakers and a camera. Gorrell spent $762, paying all in counterfeit bills, the affidavit said.

In both cases, according to the affidavit, cashiers noticed the bills felt “weird” or “strange” and notified store security.

Security called police to report the alleged forgery and gave them a description of Gorrell, Redick and their car.

According to the Secret Service agent’s description, Huntington Beach police pulled the car over on Adams Avenue, where they found Target receipts and more counterfeit money, including five fake $100 bills that Redick had hidden in his sock and two fake $100 bills stashed in Gorrell’s wallet.

Police arrested the unmarried couple, and Redick admitted to passing the fake notes, according to the affidavit.

Redick allegedly explained that he and Gorrell knew the money was counterfeit and that they had paid $50 in real money for each fake $100 bill.

The couple had been staying in a Costa Mesa motel while they bought a car in the city, according to court documents.

When Huntington Beach police searched the couple’s room at Motel 6 on Gisler Avenue, they allegedly found $5,000 in counterfeit cash.

Redick and Gorrell now each face charges in federal court of passing counterfeit U.S. currency. If convicted, the two face fines, a prison term of up to 15 years, or both.

Gorrell is free on $25,000 bond, and Redick remains in custody.

Their ages and city of residence weren’t immediately clear Thursday.

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