Grubb was out on bond when arrested for passing counterfeit bills

Donnie Grubb is accused of passing counterfeit $50 bills in Williamsburg and Whitley County.

A Williamsburg man had only been out of jail for 11 days on bond in another case when he allegedly passed counterfeit bills at multiple businesses on Jan. 19.

Williamsburg Police Officer David Rowe arrested Donnie Eric Grubb, 35, of 6495 North US25W, about 4:48 p.m. Thursday charging him with three counts of first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with physical evidence.

About 3:15 p.m., Williamsburg police received multiple calls from various locations throughout the city in reference to counterfeit $50 bills that were being passed, according to a Williamsburg Police Department release.

Witnesses described a late model white Chevy Colorado pick-up truck and one witness identified the suspect as Grubb, according to the release.

About 4 p.m., Rowe and Capt. Eddie Cain observed a vehicle matching that description on US25W and conducted a traffic stop.

“Grubb admitted to officers after he was confronted by McDonalds’ employees he destroyed a counterfeit $50 that he attempted to pass at that location,” according to the release. “After reviewing video surveillance, officers determined Grubb had passed three counterfeit bills at three different locations in the city of Williamsburg.”

According to his arrest citation, Grubb admitted to police that he passed counterfeit bills and tore one of them up throwing it out the truck window prior to the traffic stop by police.

Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Prewitt arrested Grubb about 5:45 p.m. Thursday at the Whitley County Detention Center also charging him with first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument.

According to his arrest citation in that case, Grubb allegedly went to Ed’s Place, which is located at 4075 Craig Road, and used a counterfeit $50 bill to purchase merchandise there.

The owner, Mildred Petrey, called 911 to report that she believed she had received a counterfeit bill.

When Prewitt arrived, Petrey gave him the money and advised that Grubb had used the money earlier to purchase merchandise, according to his arrest citation.

Prewitt determined that the $50 bill in question was counterfeit, according to a sheriff’s department release.

“At this time, the sheriff’s department cautions all area businesses and residents to carefully inspect $50 bills. According to Deputy Prewitt, the bill he recovered appeared real but did not feel real,” according to a sheriff’s department release.

Grubb pleaded not guilty to the charges in both cases during his arraignment Monday afternoon in Whitley District Court.

Judge Cathy Prewitt set a $7,500 cash bond for Grubb in each case, appointed the public advocate’s office to represent him, and scheduled a Jan. 30 preliminary hearing in his cases, according to court records.

Grubb had only been out of jail for less than two weeks when he was arrested in the two counterfeit cases Thursday, according to court records.

On Christmas Day, Third-District Constable Dorman Patrick Jr. served Grubb with an arrest warrant charging him with first-degree burglary.

Grubb’s arrest warrant in that case alleged that on Dec. 16, he allegedly knowingly entered George Davis residence, took a .12 gauge shotgun and fled the residence.

According to jail records, Grubb was released from the Whitley County Detention Center on Jan. 4 on a $25,000 surety or signature bond.

Grubb’s bond conditions call for him not to be within two miles of the victim’s house.

Grubb was due back in court on Feb. 6 in connection with that charge.

Grubb’s previous arrests include a conviction for burglarizing a Whitley County Sheriff’s Department satellite office on April 2, 2004.

On May 2, 2005, then Circuit Judge Jerry Winchester sentenced Donnie Grubb and Jason Fox, who were both 24 at the time, to nine years in prison, and ordered them to pay $5,369 in reimbursements for breaking into the sheriff’s satellite office the prior year.