This article was originally published in The Examiner on August 3, 2017.
By Eleanor Skelton
Staff Writer
A Jefferson County grand jury indicted Dustin Jermaine Bernard, 21, on allegations of forgery after he allegedly used cinematic prop money to buy a used iPhone 7 Plus through the popular online marketplace app Let Go, according to court documents.
Beaumont police warned Southeast Texas businesses about customers attempting to make purchases using “movie money,” particularly $100 cinematic prop bills, as previously reported by The Examiner on Feb. 23.
Officer Haley Morrow said police received six reports about customers attempting to use the prop money as real cash during the week leading up to Feb. 22.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim had posted his iPhone 7 Plus on Let Go for $500 on March 11. The next day, a buyer using the name Janae Livingston responded to the listing, wanting to buy the phone.
They agreed to meet in the Verizon store parking lot on Dowlen Road. Livingston said that she would be in a blue Cadillac.
Three people pulled up outside the Verizon store in the blue Cadillac. The front passenger identified herself as Janae and the victim handed her the iPhone. “Janae” and the male driver inspected the phone and handed the victim what appeared to be five $100 bills.
The victim stated that each of the bills looked real but had “For Motion Picture Use
Only” on them. He yelled at the people in the Cadillac, but the driver sped off, according to the affidavit.
Beaumont Police showed the victim photos similar to the suspect description on April 11, and he identified Bernard as the driver. Bernard’s girlfriend was questioned July 18 and said that Bernard purchased property, including phones, with cinematic money.
Bernard is also charged in connection to several recent auto burglaries, as previously reported by The Examiner on July 24, and may face attempted capital murder charges.
Eleanor Skelton 