Counterfeit investigation leads to arrest of Cadott man

LAKE HALLIE, Wis. (WEAU) - A Cadott, Wis. man is arrested after a counterfeit investigation.

According to a media release from the Lake Hallie Police Department, on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, around 8:57 a.m., Lake Hallie Police responded to Walmart located at 2786 Commercial Boulevard in Lake Hallie, for a report of a man who passed four counterfeit $100 bills. The incident originally occurred on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022.

The media release from the Lake Hallie Police Department says on Jan.17, 2023, photos from the case were uploaded to the Lake Hallie Police Facebook Page, to see if social media could help in identifying the unknown subject. The following day, the Cornell Police Department issued a Wisconsin Crime Alert regarding a man passing counterfeit $100 bills at two locations in their jurisdiction. The suspect from the Cornell incident was the same suspect as in the Lake Hallie Police Department case.

According to the media release from the Lake Hallie Police Department, with the help of the Wisconsin Crime Alert Network, Facebook and the Chippewa County Crime Stoppers page, the suspect was identified as 26-year-old James Buchli of Cadott, Wis. Buchli was also identified in passing counterfeit $100 bills in Tomah, Wis. and Ladysmith, Wis.

The media release from the Lake Hallie Police Department says on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023, the Cadott Police Department stopped a vehicle that was previously at Buchli’s home when investigators attempted contact there. Buchli was identified as a passenger in the vehicle.

According to the media release from the Lake Hallie Police Department, Buchli was arrested and taken to the Chippewa County Jail and was booked in on the suspicion of one felony count of forgery-uttering and one misdemeanor count of retail theft in reference to Lake Hallie Police Department’s case. Buchli was also given the recommended charges of three felony counts of forgery-uttering in Cornell Police Department’s case. Tomah Police Department and Ladysmith Police Department also have additional felony forgery-uttering charges they are recommending for Buchli as well.