Anyone who says the average citizen can't put a dent in an international crime ring should talk to Arlene Bartholomew.
The Fillmore mother and her son, Mike, are each $500 richer for providing information that led to the arrest and conviction of two men - believed to be involved with a Bulgarian counterfeit ring - who were passing counterfeit bills and the confiscation of thousands of dollars of fake money.They recently received $500 U.S. Savings Bonds "for their service to the United States." The bonds were presented by a U.S. Secret Service agent.
The two were working at a local grocery store Nov. 30, 1988, when the incident occurred. When a man handed Mrs. Batholomew a $20 bill, she became suspicious and sent her son, who was bagging groceries, outside to get the license number of a vehicle two men drove away in.
Mrs. Bartholomew's suspicions were supported when a banker and a deputy sheriff were called to the scene and confirmed that the money was counterfeit.
The Bartholomews notified authorities as the men drove on north to Nephi, where they entered another store. As a result of the tip, a federal agent and local officers were waiting for the two men when they left the Nephi store.
Efforts of mother and son didn't end with the arrests in Nephi.
The two recently testified against the men in federal court in Salt Lake City. Ivan Georgiev, a Russian citizen, and Hristo Hristov, a Bulgarian, were convicted in January of passing $120 in counterfeit bills and possessing nearly $4,000 in bogus money.