Edward J. Stemwedel, 24, Weyauwega, is charged with uttering a forgery and attempted forgery.
He is accused of passing counterfeit $100 bills in New London.
On April 24, New London Police Chief Jeff Schlueter learned that First State Bank had received a counterfeit $100 bill from Larsen Coop.
The bank had notified the U.S. Secret Service. A counterfeit bill with the same serial number had been used at Wal-Mart two days earlier.
Schlueter contacted Larsen Coop and learned that the bill had been used at the travel plaza.
Security video showed a man purchasing a $7.33 pack of cigarettes with a $100 bill, then get into the passenger side of a green Pontiac Sunfire.
Officer Josh Wilson went to Wal-Mart to view their security videos.
A Wal-Mart manager said another employee, who also works at Kwik Trip, said someone had attempted to purchase a pack of cigarettes there with a $100 bill.
The employee thought the bill looked suspicious, and when she held it up to the light, she saw an image of Abraham Lincoln.
Wilson then reviewed video from Kwik Trip and was able to obtain a clear photo of the suspect and the license plate on a green Pontiac Sunfire.
Wilson also contacted Weyauwega Police Chief Jerry Poltrock, who was also investigating counterfeit bills.
Poltrock told Wilson he had evidence that the counterfeit bills were related to heroin trafficking in the area. He had two suspects in custody.
Wilson emailed a photo of the New London counterfeit suspect to Poltrock, who identified him as Stemwedel.
According to the criminal complaint, Stemwedel told investigators he washed out a $5 bill using acetone, then used the copier at the Weyauwega library to print a $100 bill on the washed-out $5 bill.
He allegedly used the bills at the IGA in Weyauwega and at the travel plaza in New London to make small purchases, then used the real money to buy heroin.