Karlstad Dollar General Counterfeit Case Filed
Karlstad (trfnews.i234.me) — A Michigan man is facing charges in Kittson County after counterfeit cash was allegedly used at the Dollar General store in Karlstad.
Matthew James Wilson, 56, of Wyoming, Michigan, is charged in Minnesota District Court with counterfeiting of currency and theft.
The case was filed in Kittson County District Court under court file number 35-CR-26-58.
According to the criminal complaint, the incident happened on February 3, 2026, at the Dollar General in Karlstad.
Prosecutors allege Wilson used counterfeit United States currency to place money onto a prepaid card.
Store Reported Suspicious Cash
The complaint says Ann Johnson, the store manager, contacted the Kittson County Sheriff’s Office on February 4.
Johnson reported that a man had used suspected counterfeit paper currency the night before.
Store employee Romeo Lebiecki told investigators the man requested help at the register.
The man allegedly asked to load cash onto a prepaid Green Dot Visa card.
Jonathan Harris also helped with the transaction, according to the complaint.
The complaint says $150 was placed onto the card. A $3.95 fee was also charged.
Bank Found Nine Fake Bills
Johnson later took the cash to Prime Security Bank in Karlstad.
A bank worker checked the money with a machine used to detect counterfeit bills.
The complaint says nine $10 bills were rejected by the machine.
Amy Wangert examined the bills and said they were fake.
She said the printing appeared faded and grainy, according to the complaint.
The remaining money was found to be real United States currency.
Investigators said the man gave store workers a story about the money.
He allegedly said the cash came from an uncle who had stored it for years.
He also claimed the bills had been exposed to mothballs.
Similar Cases Reported In Other States
Dollar General loss prevention staff told investigators the same man was linked to similar cases.
The complaint says those cases involved stores in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa.
Investigators also reviewed information from Ada, Minnesota, and Watertown, South Dakota.
According to the complaint, Wilson was identified through financial records and image comparison.
Records from Green Dot allegedly showed the card used in Karlstad was tied to Matthew Wilson.
The complaint says the card ZIP code matched a Michigan location.
The counterfeiting charge cites Minnesota Statute 609.632.
The theft charge cites Minnesota Statute 609.52.
The counterfeiting charge carries a maximum sentence of 364 days in jail.
It also carries a possible $3,000 fine.
The theft charge carries up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Wilson is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
