KENTVILLE, NS - A Kings County woman arrested and charged with possession of counterfeit currency on Jan. 30 has pleaded guilty and has been sentenced.
Tessa Lee Davidson, 24, of Billtown, formerly of Kentville, was present in Kentville provincial court on Jan. 31. She pleaded guilty to charges of possessing four counterfeit American $50 bills and failing to comply with her recognizance.
Davidson was to have no direct or indirect contact with Brandon Corbin, a co-accused. She failed to comply with her recognizance by being in Corbin’s vehicle in North Kentville on Jan. 30.
Judge Christopher Manning handed Davidson a suspended sentence with 24 months of reporting probation on these two charges and six other unrelated charges. Davidson was ordered to complete 30 hours of community service work in relation to the charge of failing to comply with her recognizance.
Davidson committed the offences in North Kentville on Jan. 30. A charge of offering to use counterfeit American money as if it were genuine – two $10 bills, two $20 bills and a $50 bill – was withdrawn on Jan. 31.
Corbin, 22, of Berwick, is charged with possessing counterfeit American money, four $50 bills, and offering to use counterfeit American money as if it were genuine – two $10 bills, two $20 bills and a $50 bill.
He was released from custody on a $1,000 non-cash recognizance with conditions and a surety following his initial court appearance on Jan. 31. His matters have been adjourned to Feb. 26 for election and plea.
According to a Jan. 31 media release from the Nova Scotia RCMP, a bank in Middleton and four Kings County businesses reported receiving counterfeit American $10, $20 and $50 bills in the course of conducting business.
Police officers from the Valley Integrated Street Crime Enforcement Unit (SCEU) investigated the incidents and arrested the suspects on Jan. 30.
The RCMP distributed photos of the counterfeit money and advised that the serial numbers are the same on currency of each denomination. Police are asking anyone who comes across suspected counterfeit cash to contact the local RCMP detachment.
The RCMP release warned that those who unknowingly accept counterfeit currency as legal tender cannot be reimbursed.
The Valley SCEU is made up of Kings District RCMP members and officers from the Kentville Police Service. The Kings District RCMP can be reached at 902-679-5555 and the Kentville Police at 902-678-3378.
Other charges
Davidson had earlier pleaded guilty to six other unrelated charges and was sentenced on Jan. 31. These include:
- Stealing food from Walmart in New Minas on July 29, 2016.
- Failing to appear at the New Minas RCMP headquarters in accordance with an appearance notice in which she had been named for the purposes of the Identification of Criminals Act on July 31, 2016.
- Defrauding an individual of money not exceeding $5,000 in Berwick on May 19, 2017.
- Possession of stolen property of a value not exceeding $5,000 in Greenwich on July 6, 2017.
- Stealing gasoline from the Somerset Market on May 15, 2017.
- Stealing property valued at less than $5,000 from Walmart in New Minas on Nov. 26, 2015.
As part of her probation, Davidson has been ordered to pay $191.03 in restitution to the victim of the fraud charge and has been ordered to pay $45.05 in restitution to the Somerset Market.
Another count of fraud was withdrawn on Jan. 31.
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