OREM — Two men got more than they bargained for after one tried to bilk the other using allegedly counterfeit cash.
The first man was arrested Monday after he attempted — twice — to pay a woman who works for an escort company with $100 bills police say were counterfeit. The other man, the escort service owner, was arrested on unrelated charges after attempting to stop him.
Orem Police Lt. Doug Edwards said a 25-year-old Provo man contacted a Salt Lake-based escort service on Sunday and arranged to meet a woman at a gas station in Orem.
After the two met, the woman told the man the service price was $200. The man gave the woman two counterfeit $100 bills, Edwards said.
When the woman called him on the alleged phony money, the man fled. That made the woman's employer, a 28-year-old man, angry, police said.
On Monday the same man called the escort service again, asking for an escort. This time the escort service owner and the woman who refused the man's bills accompanied another female employee to meet up with the man.
Police said the escort service owner wanted the first woman to identify the man.
Once again, the man attempted to pay with two $100 bills police said were counterfeit. But when the second woman called him on the bills, again he tried to flee.
The escort service owner gave chase and caught him in the middle of the street at 1500 South State, Edwards said. An altercation began and police were called.
Police separated the arguing people and got the story from the second woman, who said she was there only to help out the escort service owner. She didn't work for the escort service, Edwards said she told police at the scene.
A police dog was called to the scene and started sniffing the escort owner's car. The dog alerted officers that he had detected the scent of drugs, Edwards said.
Police found marijuana and a shotgun in the car, Edwards said. The escort service owner was restricted from possessing a gun because of a previous arrest record for a serious offense, police said.
Police arrested him and booked him into Utah County Jail for investigation of illegal possession of the weapon and drugs and disorderly conduct. The man also had an outstanding warrant from from Salt Lake City for resisting arrest.
The man who started the incident for allegedly attempting to pay for services with counterfeit money was also arrested and booked after police searched his home and found more counterfeit cash.