Windsor PD: Counterfeit Cash Ring Hit Local Businesses

A man accused of acting as part of a large-scale counterfeit cash ring accused of ripping off Windsor's Target of more than $1,000 was arraigned in superior court Tuesday.

20-year-old Quency Noel has been charged with using counterfeit hundred dollar bills to purchase the high-priced electronics from the Target store on Kennedy Road in Windsor — an alleged act of fraud police say was just one instance in a string of counterfeit cash schemes that have victimized businesses throughout the region, including another Target location on the South Windsor line.

According to court documents, Windsor Police, in conjunction with Torrington law enforcement, were able uncover the scheme in which a group of alleged counterfeit thefts purchased expensive electronics from large chain stores using fake bills and then returned the items to receive clean cash, making for a profit in the thousands of dollars.

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Noel, a native of Brooklyn, NY, was apprehended by police at the Windsor Target after having just used five counterfeit $100 bills to purchase an iPod Touch (retail price $418.70), an affidavit obtained in court alleges.

Noel, accused of committing the crime in May of 2011, was taken into custody along with 34-year-old Antoine Ramponeau, also of New York. Ramponeau was identified by police as having accompanied Noel in the store and having had knowledge of the attempt to commit the crime.

Ramponeau pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fifth degree larceny, a misdemeanor. He was given a suspended 6-month jail sentence and one year of probation.

According to police, a series of allegedly fraudulent transactions conducted by Noel caused the Windsor Target to lose roughly $1,150.

Noel was charged with third-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit third-degree larceny — both felonies.

He also faces felony forgery and conspiracy to commit forgery charges filed by the Bantam Police Department for an alleged counterfeit scheme conducted at a Torrington Radio Shack.

He was released after posting bail of $100,000 and is due to appear in court again on November 13.

According to court documents, counterfeit rings such as the one Noel is accused of operating within are common, but they make it a point to move from region to region, making it hard for law enforcement officers to identify suspects.