Police officer charged with making fake money

Raleigh police and agents with the U.S. Secret Service charged a Holly Springs police officer last night with manufacturing phony money, authorities reported.

Bruce Renard Green, 27, of 805 Nightshade Way in Raleigh, has been charged with one count each of uttering a forged instrument, forgery of notes, checks and other securities, and felony obtaining property by false pretenses, according to records filed at the City-County Bureau of Identification.

Green started with Holly Springs police department in April, 2006, and his salary was $40,588. Mark Andrews, a town spokesman, said Green resigned from the force today. He turned in his badge and gun last night.

In addition to his current charges, Green could face federal charges.

"We will continue to work with federal authorities," Jim Sughrue, a Raleigh police spokesman said today. "If federal charges appear to be more appropriate they could supplant the state charges."

Green was picked up for questioning just before 8 p.m. last night and was arrested at 9:38 p.m., a spokeswoman with CCBI said this morning. He was released around 11 p.m. under a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Federal and local authorities began a joint investigation of Green on Aug. 5 after an individual was detained for passing counterfeit currency, Sughrue said.

Raleigh police contacted the U.S. Secret Service after the arrests and the agencies launched an investigation with city detectives and federal agents working backwards to track the source of the counterfeit cash, Sughrue said.

"In the end, it was determined that the currency originated with Bruce Renard Green," Sughrue said.

Sughrue was not sure what denomination of bills were passed during the Aug. 5 arrests.

"I don't know for certain," he said.

Nor would the police spokesman disclose how the money was manufactured.

"I just don't want that to lead to additional instances where other people are doing the same thing," he said.

Sughrue said it would be inaccurate to describe Green as being part of a counterfeit money ring with the other the other person detained on Aug. 5.

"I know that bad currency was recovered, but at this point that person has not been charged," Sughrue said. "I will also point out that the suspect has not been charged with conspiring with others."