Lake County man on pre-trial release arrested for trying to buy gift cards with counterfeit bills

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Fezahry Kyle Pierre, 21, of Groveland, Fla., was arrested last night after allegedly trying to buy gift cards with counterfeit bills.

At about 9:28 p.m. on March 11, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a call about someone trying to buy gift cards with counterfeit currency at the CVS on NW 23rd Avenue (4354 NW 23rd Ave.). The deputy reported that employees had managed to keep Pierre there until law enforcement arrived, but when Pierre was told he was being detained, he ran out of the store.

The deputy deployed a taser, and Pierre fell to the ground, where he was reportedly compliant for about a minute while the deputy waited for backup but then got up and ran across NW 43rd Street. A second taser deployment reportedly slowed him, but he allegedly continued running east along NW 16th Boulevard until he ran into a responding Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officer and surrendered.

The deputy reported that GPD officers said they’d received multiple reports of the same man passing counterfeit currency at several Dollar General stores and another CVS earlier in the day.

A search incident to arrest reportedly produced two driver’s licenses with Pierre’s photo but different names, one from Virginia and one from Georgia, but he was positively identified via a Florida law enforcement database.

While waiting for EMS to respond, Pierre reportedly asked GPD officers about his vehicle, which was later found parked in front of Fresh Market. The deputy requested a tow truck while waiting for a search warrant and conducted an inventory of valuables in the vehicle, which was reportedly unlocked. The deputy reported finding a wad of cash with 13 $20 bills, two $10 bills, four $5 bills, a $2 bill, and 10 singles; all but the $2 bill and the singles were found to be counterfeit, based on information found on the U.S. Secret Service’s website. The deputy also reported finding marijuana “shake” and two packs of rolling papers in the passenger compartment of the car, along with a money order for $480 that had been purchased that day at the Steeplechase Publix in Jonesville.

A search of the trunk reportedly produced two envelopes containing $100 bills; a $50 bill; another Virginia driver’s license with Pierre’s picture and a false name, along with a debit card with the same name; about 3.5 grams of marijuana; and another pack of rolling papers. The deputy reported finding a total of 17 counterfeit $100 bills and one counterfeit $50 bill.

Other items in the vehicle, such as a laptop, gift cards, and receipts, may lead to further charges.

Pierre has been charged with four counts of possession of fraudulent personal identification cards, two counts of possession of 10 or more counterfeit bills, using a counterfeit bill, two counts of resisting an officer without violence, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, and petit theft. He has no criminal convictions but is on pre-trial release following an arrest in Orange County for drug possession and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and he has another warrant for grand theft of a motor vehicle. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $200,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.