LOOKING TO STOP THE BAD BUCKS HERE.

Byline: Rebecca Nolan The Register-Guard

SPRINGFIELD - The $10 bill taped to the wall at Prime Time Sports Bar and Grill isn't worth a cent.

Hold it up to the light and you'll see that the telltale watermark and security thread are missing. The colors are the same as a regular bill, but the image of President Lincoln seems a little off center. And the paper just doesn't have the right feel.

The counterfeit bill is one of four or five fake $10 bills the restaurant has taken in recently. The bar also got stuck with a phony $100 bill when a customer paid his tab with it and ran away, his belly full of food and beer, said Jason Martorano, whose father runs Prime Time.

"Now we check all the bills out under a neon light behind the bar," Martorano said. "And we check every bill when we count the money in the morning."

Police think several criminal groups are turning out the worthless bills in all denominations, with varying levels of sophistication. Some bills are printed on paper treated with chemicals that defeat the popular pen test, while others are so clumsily done it's almost comical, Springfield Detective Robert Conrad said.

Conrad has collected more than 50 reports of counterfeit money, and Springfield officers have arrested several people allegedly trying to pass the bills. "They always deny that they knew it was fake, and they're not giving up where they found it," he said.

Across the river, Eugene detectives are investigating around 75 cases and have arrested several people, including a man and woman busted twice on suspicion of operating a production plant whose central tool was a 3-in-1 copier-scanner-printer of the sort available at Costco for less than $100, Eugene financial crimes detective Doug Jordan said.

The bad bills have meant a lot of work for cops, and a lot of financial pain for local businesses.

When someone passes a bad check, the bank takes the loss, but when someone passes a fake bill, the business that accepted it is out the money.

As a result, businesses in Eugene and Springfield have been more vigilant about checking for security features embedded in currency since New Year's, when the wave of funny money first flooded the region.

"I was in Dari Mart and bought some milk, and, boy, they were all over my $50 bill," Conrad said.

Stacy Thompson, manager of the Dari Mart at Harlow and Game Farm roads in Springfield, said people have tried to pass a phony $20 bill and a couple of $5 bills.

"If you've handled money enough, you can feel the difference," she said. "Especially the fives. They're thicker, and the green is just too green."

So far none of the bills have made it into her register drawers.

"I tell all my girls to watch it when we get busy. Take the time," she said. Her trick: rub a fingernail on the president's collar. It should have ridges.

The thieves are targeting convenience stores, gas stations and fast food restaurants. They like drive-up businesses where they can make a quick getaway. Bars are ideal because it's often dark inside and hard to see. They also take advantage of sit-down restaurants where customers leave the money on the table and walk out. One guy tried to pass a fake $20 bill at Knecht's Auto Parts store in Springfield, but the assistant manager stopped him.

Why they're doing it is another question. Most people involved in financial crime are supporting drug habits, police said. The couple twice arrested by Eugene police, Coreana Faye Bowman, 34, and Charles Ray Parker, 25, allegedly told police they ran out of money, Jordan said. They were photocopying just enough to get by, he said. Nevertheless, they'll probably face federal forgery charges.

Eugene Detective Dan Lane has worked the counterfeit cases with great tenacity, Jordan said. Lane and a parole and probation officer busted several additional people at a house on McDougal Lane after he served a search warrant there and discovered counterfeit notes that matched several in police possession. He's also working on a third ring, Jordan said.

It's always hard to tell why a certain crime becomes popular all at once, police said. Conrad suggested it could have started with one group, followed by others who learned of their success and started their own enterprises.

Thanks to the combined efforts of police and businesses, the number of reports is dropping off. Instead of four or five cases a day, Eugene police are taking one or two reports a week, Jordan said.

CAPTION(S):

Aaron Way, who works at Prime Time Sports Bar and Grill, demonstrates how he checks the authenticity of a $20 bill.