On Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at approximately 8:57 am, Lake Hallie Police responded to Wal-Mart, 2786 Commercial Blvd, Lake Hallie, for a report of a male subject who passed four counterfeit $100 bills. The incident originally occurred on Tuesday, December 27, 2022.
On January 17, 2023, the photos from the case were uploaded to the Lake Hallie Police Facebook page, to see if social media could assist in identifying the unknown subject. The following day, the Cornell Police Department issued a Wisconsin Crime Alert regarding a male suspect passing counterfeit $100 bills at two locations in their jurisdiction. The suspect from the Cornell incident was the same suspect as in the Lake Hallie PD case.
With the assistance of the Wisconsin Crime Alert Network, Facebook and the Chippewa County Crime Stoppers page, the suspect was positively identified as James Buchli (26 years old) of Cadott, WI. Buchli was also identified in passing counterfeit $100 bills in Tomah, WI and Ladysmith, WI.
On Monday, January 23, 2023, the Cadott Police Department stopped a vehicle that was previously at Buchli’s residence when Investigators attempted contact there. Buchli was identified as a passenger in the vehicle. Buchli was arrested and transported to the Chippewa County Jail and was booked in on one felony count of Forgery-Uttering and one misdemeanor count of Retail Theft in reference to Lake Hallie PD’s Case. Buchli was also charged with three felony counts of Forgery-Uttering in Cornell PD’s case.
Tomah PD and Ladysmith PD also have additional felony Forgery-Uttering charges pending for Buchli as well.
