Thursday's Internet Edition, September 02, 2010.

Just before 1 p.m. last Wednesday the Spencer Police Dept. was notified the Salvation Army Store had received a $20 bill that looked suspicious.

As city officials were notifying other local businesses they learned Handimart had turned down a bill from a woman that appeared to be phony. As the woman was leaving the store, the clerk heard her say she was going to Walmart. The clerk also told police the woman was in an older model car with an Ohio license plate.

Police located a car that matched the description at the Walmart parking lot when Lt. Clint Wilson spoke with a man and woman inside the vehicle.

Wilson said the woman, Mara Sue Krom, 21, of Tiffin, Ohio, admitted she had used a counterfeit bill to buy clothing at the Salvation Army and also tried to use a bill at Handimart. The man was identified as Robert James Goodale, 30, of Carey, Ohio.

Krom told police she obtained the counterfeit money from Craig Ranker, 26, of Tiffin.

Ranker and his wife returned to the vehicle while police were there and she allegedly gave police permission to search the car where they found a counterfeit $10 bill and a small quantity of marijuana.

Wilson obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and police allegedly found several counterfeit bills stashed in several places in the car.

Police said the bills were of poor quality and may have been made on a color copier or digital printer.

Ranker, Goodale and Krom were each charged with two counts of counterfeiting and two counts of conspiracy. Krom was also charged with obtaining goods by false pretenses while Ranker was charged with possession of a controlled substance in a quantity less than 15 grams.

All three were arraigned by Roane Magistrate Jason Bennett who set bond at $120,000 for Goodale, $122,500 for Ranker and $125,000 for Krom.

All three remained in the Central Regional Jail this week in lieu of bond while awaiting preliminary hearings.