Lawrence Police Find More Than $1,000 In Counterfeit Money On Drug Suspect

LAWRENCE (CBS) - Drug investigators in Lawrence got more than they bargained for when they arrested a man on heroin charges.

They discovered more than $1,000 in counterfeit bills.

Lawrence Police Chief John Romero says the bills just didn't feel right, and they didn't look right either.

"An untrained eye would probably think this was a real hundred dollar bill," he said.

Officers spotted the suspect, Michael Righini, allegedly shooting up heroin inside a car in a parking lot across from Lawrence Community Health Center on Thursday afternoon .

They allegedly found drugs and wads of fake cash in his pocket.

Many of the bills have the exact same serial number. Investigators also say the quality of the paper seems inferior.

But that doesn't mean they can't be passed off as real to the untrained eye.

"We've said all along drugs fuel most of the crime in any city," Chief Romero said. "This is a good example of how a drug case inter-winds with some other serious crime."

Police are now trying to find out where the money came from in an effort to determine the scale of the operation. Secret Service is involved in the investigation.