Macon Man Accused of Using Counterfeit Cash to Buy TV Through Facebook Marketplace

MACON, Ga. – A Macon man is facing multiple forgery, robbery and theft charges months after a Facebook Marketplace transaction in which a seller reported receiving counterfeit $50 bills for a television, according to a Bibb County Sheriff’s Office incident report and arrest information.

Anthony Da’Wayne Morgan Jr., 30, was arrested Sept. 15. His charges include five counts of first-degree forgery, three additional counts of forgery, three counts of robbery, six felony counts of theft by deception and three misdemeanor counts of theft by deception.

Morgan also faces a probation violation related to a previous felony conviction.

The investigation that led to the forgery warrant began April 6, when a Bibb County deputy responded to Napa Lofts in the 500 block of Third Street in Macon.

The victim told the deputy he had arranged through Facebook Marketplace to sell a television to a buyer. The two met at the Shell gas station at 2010 Riverside Drive.

According to the report, the buyer paid $300 using six $50 bills. The seller described the buyer as a bald man in his 30s or 40s who was driving a black sedan, possibly displaying a temporary tag.

The victim asked the buyer to help him load the television, but the buyer said he could not get out of the vehicle. The seller then placed the TV in the back seat.

After the transaction, the seller went inside the gas station and used one of the $50 bills to buy a drink. He later attempted to deposit the remaining cash at an ATM, but the machine rejected the bills.

Upon examining the five remaining bills, the victim discovered that three had identical serial numbers while the other two shared another serial number, leading him to believe the money was counterfeit.

The deputy collected the five bills and submitted them to the crime lab.

The victim later located a Facebook Marketplace profile using the name “Anthony Morgan.” Although he told investigators he was unsure whether that was the buyer’s real name, he identified the person pictured online as the man who purchased his television, according to the report. A forgery warrant was subsequently obtained.

Morgan was previously arrested in 2021 on charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, discharging a firearm near a street and reckless conduct.