23 Year Old Man Arrested for Passing Counterfeit $20 Bills in Downtown Rye
Rye PD has arrested a 23-year-old man for passing counterfeit money at local Purchase Street retailers All Paws Gourmet Pet Store (31 Purchase Street) and the Sammy + Nat children’s clothing store (88 Purchase Street, on the corner of Purdy Avenue).
Back on Friday, November 22, 2024, Rye PD Officers responded to the two retailers after they each reported transactions where an individual paid using a total of 17 counterfeit $20 dollar bills. The investigation was turned over to Rye detectives who subsequently identified 23-year-old Elijah Gay of Brooklyn, New York as the party that passed the counterfeit bills at both businesses. Gay has a history of priors, including a string of crimes where he is accused of robbing elderly women, including apparently robbing a 90-year old woman of her hearing aids inside the 59th Street-Columbus Circle subway station in Manhattan.
On Wednesday (December 18, 2024), with the assistance of NYC Probation, Gay was picked up on an arrest warrant out of Rye City Court. Gay was transported to Rye Police headquarters where he was processed by detectives and charged with (2) counts of Possession of a Forged Instrument 1st Degree, a Class C Felony as well as (2) counts of Petit Larceny. Gay was arraigned in Rye City Court and was remanded to the Westchester County Correctional Facility until his next scheduled court date on Tuesday, December 24, 2024 at 9:00am. Rye PD reminds you that booking charges are merely accusations and the defendant(s) are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
