Officers find phony money, Miami U. student faces charges

A Miami University student is facing multiple charges after a trail of phony money led police to an Oxford residence.

Nikolaus F. Lehnertz, 22, is charged with five counts of forgery, a fifth-degree felony; five counts of criminal simulation; a first-degree misdemeanor, and one count of possession of criminal tool, a fifth-degree felony. The charges come after a search warrant was served Thursday at his University Avenue residence.

Officers found 32 counterfeit $20 bills, and a search of Lehnertz’s vehicle turned up 400 pills suspected to by Xanax, according to police.

Lehnertz is a junior political science major, according to university officials. He purchased the fake money through the Internet, police said.

An additional drug charges may be filed pending analysis by the crime lab, according to police.

He was booked into the Butler County Jail but is free on bond.

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