Counterfeit passer indicted

Houston’s Kalen James Harden, 24, was indicted on Sept. 13 on a third-degree felony charge of forgery after attempting to pass counterfeit money at Dollar General, 726 Magnolia St. in Port Neches, on July 2.

Port Neches Police Department officers responded to the call and was advised that the suspect attempted to pass counterfeit money but was seen leaving in a white Dodge Charger with black pinstripe while the officer was enroute. The Dollar General employee followed Harden to the Walgreens parking lot nearby on Nall Street, where the suspect parked in the side lot of the store.

According to Port Neches Police Department, Hardin had an active warrant out of Indiana at the time for counterfeiting, but the agency refused to extradite. Hardin was detained and the officer located a counterfeit $100 bill inside of his wallet.

After the Dollar General manager identified Harden as the suspect from a separate recent forgery in Port Neches a few weeks prior, he was placed under arrest. Upon taking inventory of his vehicle, officers discovered more counterfeit $100 bills inside the vehicle along with drug paraphernalia and identifying information for multiple subjects that did not belong to Harden.

After speaking to the Dollar General manager, it was discovered that the $100 bill Harden attempted to pass was a $10 bill that had been altered to appear to be a $100 bill.

Harden was released on $20,000 bond July 6. According to public record, Harden was arrested Aug. 22, 2022, in Hamilton County, Indiana, for forgery of counterfeit bills and released on $50,000 bond; and, in August 2017, at the age of 18, he was charged with theft and counterfeiting in Bloomington, Indiana, where he was busted using fake $100 bills to purchase meals at Noodles and Company and procuring guitar gear.