CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, S.C. — A Mississippi man in South Carolina is facing an additional charge after sheriff’s deputies said he told a judge to “keep the change” when posting bond.

It wasn’t the “change” that was the issue; it was what was allegedly written on it that resulted in forgery charges being filed.

The Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release posted to Facebook that Patrick Alexander, who was an inmate at the Chesterfield County Detention Center, was in court for a bond hearing on a trespassing charge.

The judge set the bond at $250. Alexander was given his personal property back and allegedly took out some cash and handed the judge three $100 bills, $50 more than the bond. Alexander, according to the sheriff’s office, then told the judge to “keep the change,” the sheriff’s office said in the post.

The judge informed Alexander that not only could he not keep the extra money, but he also noticed that the bills’ colors were off and that there was Chinese writing on them.

A detention officer then checked the bills with a counterfeit-detection pen, which indicated they were fake, the office said.

The judge told the officer to take the counterfeit bills into evidence.

Forgery charges were filed against Alexander, the sheriff’s office said in the release.

©2026 Cox Media Group