Spencerville man used counterfeit bills to purchase camper

LIMA — A Spencerville man will be sentenced in June after admitting in Allen County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday that he used counterfeit $100 bills to purchase a camper.

As part of a negotiated plea deal, Justin Monhollen entered a plea of guilty to a third-degree felony charge of theft from a person in a protected class.

Monhollen, 29, of Spencerville, was indicted by an Allen County grand jury in November on single counts of theft from a person in a protected class and counterfeiting, each a third-degree felony.

Prosecutors allege that in April of last year Monhollen did knowingly facilitate a fraud when he used counterfeit $100 bills totaling more than $5,000 to purchase a camper from a 73-year-old victim.

Assistant Allen County Prosecutor Joe Everhart said Monhollen agreed to purchase a camper for $12,000. The Spencerville man paid the seller $11,900, a substantial amount of which was in counterfeit bills, before driving off with the camper.

In exchange for Monhollen’s guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed the remaining count and agreed to remain silent at a sentencing hearing scheduled for June 30.

Judge Terri Kohlrieser ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared.