A hotel guest was arrested after allegedly attempting to pass counterfeit money.
Jonathan Nicholas Comitino, 53, of Homosassa, was arrested Tuesday at the Days Inn on State Road 44 in Wildwood on a felony charge of trying to pass counterfeit money.
An employee of the nearby TA Travel Center said Comitino entered the store on Nov. 14 and attempted to spend “six single dollar bills,” according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. The clerk noticed the bills “felt different” and concluded the money was fake. She confronted Comitino, who walked out. The exchange was captured on video surveillance.
A deputy investigating the incident learned that Comitino was staying at the Days Inn. The deputy went to Comitino’s room, but no one would answer the door. The deputy went to the front desk of the hotel and obtained a paper copy of Comitino’s driver’s license, which had been used to rent the room. The deputy returned to the Days Inn on Tuesday, found Comitino and took him into custody.
He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $2,500 bond.
