Anchorage man arraigned on host of charges after trying to pass counterfeit bill

WASILLA — A 38-year-old Anchorage man was arraigned in Palmer Court Monday on felony charges stemming from an incident in which he attempted to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at at Wasilla convenience store.

Christopher Yolan Felthouser was arraigned on charges of first and second-degree theft, first-degree forgery, failure to register as a sex offender and misdemeanor charges of third-degree misconduct involving a weapon.

According to a court affidavit, Wasilla Police Department officers responded to a report of someone trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill while paying for gas. The clerk refused to accept the currency and got a description and license plate number of the vehicle before the driver fled. A check of the plate revealed the vehicle was reported stolen out of Anchorage on Aug. 5.

Police stopped the vehicle near the intersection of Herning and Boundary streets in Wasilla and the driver, Felthouser, was arrested for driving a stolen vehicle. The affidavit states a search prior to his arrest yielded a $20 sticking out of his wallet with a fraudulent authentication check mark on it.

The police investigation further revealed Felthouser was a convicted felon and was noncompliant with the sex offender registry. Police state a visual search of the vehicle revealed a loaded .22 caliber revolver. Officers contacted the vehicle’s registered owner who gave consent to search it. During the search, the affidavit states a VISA charge card not belonging to Felthouser was found. The card’s owner responded to the scene telling police his vehicle was stolen hours earlier. The owner took possession of the card and his stolen driver’s license.

Felthouser was arrested on the charges and remanded to Mat-Su Pretrial Facility where bail was set at $5,000 cash/corporate and a court-appointed third party. His preliminary hearing on the charges is scheduled for Aug. 18 in Palmer Court before Judge Gregory Heath.

Contact reporter Chris Ford at 352-2270 or chris.ford@frontiersman.com