Man arrested for passing (legal) $2 bills at Best Buy

**brianleahy** · May 11th, 2005, 12:15 PM

http://www.gnn.tv/headlines/2054/Two...ltimore_County

An exerpt:

PUT YOURSELF in Mike Bolesta’s place. On the morning of Feb. 20, he buys a new radio-CD player for his 17-year-old son Christopher’s car. He pays the $114 installation charge with 57 crisp new $2 bills, which, when last observed, were still considered legitimate currency in the United States proper. The $2 bills are Bolesta’s idea of payment, and his little comic protest, too.

For this, Bolesta, Baltimore County resident, innocent citizen, owner of Capital City Student Tours, finds himself under arrest.

Finds himself, in front of a store full of customers at the Best Buy on York Road in Lutherville, locked into handcuffs and leg irons...

Outrageous!

**mdnky** · May 11th, 2005, 01:03 PM

Look at where it happened (Maryland). That said, it's not so outrageous. Plain wrong, but not so outrageous for that state. Good old fashioned common-sense and that old piece of paper called the U.S. Constitution aren't considered "useful" there it seems.

**Viro** · May 11th, 2005, 01:13 PM

Wow... that's really really harsh.

**brianleahy** · May 11th, 2005, 01:16 PM

Wow... that's really really harsh.

The Best Buy story, or what mdkny said?

**pipermalibu** · May 11th, 2005, 01:55 PM

I saw this story when it first came out and the best part is:

"This will be important news to all concerned.

For Baltimore County police, said spokesman Bill Toohey, “It’s a sign that we’re all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world.”

It is THE excuse that is used for total stupidity! What 9/11 has to do with dumb employees and the "let's cover our butt and tell 'em some ink smeared so we don't get sued" story I don't know. He was certainly a potential terrorist threat for passing 2 dollar bills. I am shaking right now just thinking about it.....