A Carroll County pawn-shop manager said a counterfeit incident has caused the business to change its policy regarding money orders.

A fake money order for $256.88 was used on Dec. 3 to purchase a handgun at Buck Creek Pawn Shop and Jewelry on Highway 27 north of Carrollton.

“It was a total loss for us on the gun,” said Donnie Pollard. “(The money orders) are hard to detect if they are real, and we are not going to take them any more. After this happened, we changed our policy completely. One of the things that upsets me the most is that it was a gun. I want other businesses to be aware and alert this is happening. I recommend just not taking the money orders anymore.”

Carroll County sheriff’s deputies are searching for two Temple residents, who authorities say are responsible for passing fake money orders at several businesses in the county as well as in neighboring counties.

Sheriff’s Inv. Marc Griffith said that since Dec. 1, fraudulent money orders, appearing authentic, have been used to buy more than $1,600 in goods at three stores in the county - including the sale of the firearm. More than 20 to 30 of the fake money orders have also been used in Paulding County at businesses to buy items, deputies said.

Authorities said Tracy Lynn Holmes, 35, is suspected of cashing in six counterfeit money orders this month - totalling nearly $300 each - at the Buck Creek pawn shop, the NAPA store on Bankhead Highway in Carrollton, where a four-wheeler was bought, and at Taylor’s Gin Store in Temple on Taylor’s Gin Road for groceries.

Carroll County authorities have issued a warrant on Holmes for forgery and on Brian Lee Walters, 44, for violation of the Georgia Sex Offender Registry for allegedly absconding after failure to register annually in Carroll County under state law.

Walters, who is believed to have been present when at least one of the fake money orders was passed, was placed on the registry for a 2002 conviction for child molestation, according to deputies.

Griffith said Holmes recently bonded out of jail in Douglas County on Dec. 19 for forgery charges and in Paulding County on Dec. 22 for theft by deception charges.

“The money orders look real authentic, and often aren’t discovered to be counterfeit until the business deposits them and they are returned as counterfeit,” said sheriff’s Inv. Harold Bramlett. “We are still investigating the forgeries, but we do believe that somehow the suspects are printing the fake money orders. Within the past month there have been a number of these forged money orders that have surfaced in Carroll County and in surrounding areas.”

Griffith said information gathered during the investigation indicated that the couple would go to at least some of the stores together to pass the counterfeit checks for merchandise.

“This is somewhat an unusual occurrence to have multiple jurisdictions involved,” he said. “We are asking businesses to be cautious when accepting money orders and to try and call and confirm from the companies if they are valid before accepting them.”

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Holmes or Walters can contact the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office at 770-830-5888.