Man uses fake money to purchase vehicle

A Fort Smith man is facing a felony charge of obtaining property by trick or deception after he reportedly purchased a vehicle from another man with fake money.

Robert L. Nevel, 42, was charged June 12 in Sequoyah County District Court and a warrant was issued for his arrest the same day, according to court records.

Sequoyah County Sheriff’s deputy Dwaine Chase reported on June 4 he was dispatched to Spirit Mart in Moffett in reference to a male subject allegedly purchasing a vehicle with fake money.

The reporting party said he’d posted his 2006 white Jeep Commander for sale on Facebook for $2,400 and was contacted by an individual with the profile name of T.K. Often who was inquiring to buy the jeep. T.K. Often asked the reporting party if he would meet at the convenience store to make the transaction and the reporting party requested $100 extra since he’d have to drive further to meet him.

The two met at the store where the reporting party sold the jeep to T.K. Often, who pulled out an envelope and began counting money. The reporting party said T.K. Often returned the money to the envelope and then handed it to the reporting party, and then the reporting party gave him the title and bill of sale.

When T.K. Often left with the jeep, the reporting party said he was counting the cash when he realized the money didn’t feel right. After examining the cash further, the reporting party said he noticed every bill had “copy money” printed on each bill in the upper left and lower right corners.

The reporting party said when he realized the money was fake, he tried contacting T.K. Often on Facebook but the profile had already been deleted.

Chase said he reviewed camera footage from the incident on the store’s security cameras which reportedly showed a black male pulling into the store in a Dodge Journey with an Arkansas tag. He is then seen going into the store to use the restroom and exiting before meeting the reporting party in the northern part of the parking lot.

Fort Smith police tried contacting T.K. Often by his tag number and to possibly recover the jeep while the jeep was entered as stolen into NCIC. A Fort Smith officer then contacted Chase and stated he and his partner were out with the jeep and the male who reportedly purchased it with fake money.

The man was identified at that time as Nevel, according to the affidavit, and arrested by Fort Smith police.

District Attorney Jack Thorp said if convicted of the crime, Nevel could face imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections not to exceed two years or in the county jail not to exceed one year, or by a fine not to exceed $5,000, or both fine and imprisonment.