Man Charged After Buying Trailer With Fake “Movie Money”

FOUR OAKS – A Pembroke man is facing felony charges after allegedly using counterfeit “movie prop” cash to purchase a utility trailer earlier this year, according to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office.

Brandon Douglas Locklear, 35, was arrested on August 25 and charged with obtaining property by false pretense and uttering a forged instrument.

The investigation began in January after a Four Oaks woman listed a small utility trailer for sale on Facebook Marketplace. On January 14, she was contacted by a buyer who agreed to purchase the trailer for $1,150. The two arranged to meet in Clayton to complete the sale.

According to deputies, Locklear handed the seller an envelope filled with cash and left with the trailer. It wasn’t until after the transaction that the woman realized the bills were counterfeit—clearly marked as movie props and not legal tender.

Months later, the case took a turn when Locklear allegedly sold the trailer to a second, unsuspecting buyer. That individual tried to register the trailer at a North Carolina DMV office.

Deputies were able to track down and recover the trailer, which was ultimately returned to the original seller.

Locklear was booked into the Johnston County Jail under a $10,000 secured bond.