04/22/08 - See The Channel 2 Video - Fakes Allowing Many Access To Exclusive Waterfront

Police in Greenwich, Conn., are scratching their heads as they try to figure out who is running a counterfeit beach pass ring that is allowing people access to exclusive waterfront property. (WCBS)

Beach Pass Counterfeiting Perplexes Greenwich Cops (Video Report)

WCBSTV.com

Reporting Tony Aiello

GREENWICH, Conn. You've heard of counterfeit money and counterfeit luxury goods. How about counterfeit beach passes?

It's happening in Connecticut, where cops say someone is making and apparently selling those highly coveted beach passes that are one of the perks of living in America's wealthiest town.

It's quiet now, but come Memorial Day crowds will head back to the beach at Greenwich Point, where attendants will have to be more vigilant than ever now that cops have learned someone has been counterfeiting these coveted passes and making fake permits....

...Beach passes and parking permits are one of the perks of living in Greenwich. For years, the town fought to keep non-residents off the beach – until a court ordered the town to allow them to visit.

But non-residents pay a fee for the privilege -- $5 to enter and $20 to park.

So having a counterfeit pass and parking permit could save hundreds of dollars.

Greenwich Police have a great piece of evidence in this case -- a folder containing copies of counterfeit passes, and the name of the alleged person behind the counterfeiting ring....

...."We are still reaching out to other individuals to get their assistance as well as try to document enough information to give to the prosecutors' office where they feel comfortable going forward with a criminal charge," said. Lt. Daniel Allen.

Whoever has been making fake versions of these passes soon may find it's a real crime.

Real beach passes have a bar code on them, but beach attendant's are not equipped with a bar code reader....

Please see:

02/18/08 - The Parks Department Has Another Beach Pass Scandal. Will The Police Be Called? Will the person reponsible be punished?

02/19/08 - Coverup? - Why Isn't This Felony Being Investigated By The Police Department?

02/20/08 - Is The Coverup Comming To An End? - Police Commisioner Tesei Lights A Fire Under Police Chief Ridberg's Rear End.

02/21/08 - Stop The Coverup - Since When Is Joesph Siciliano A Criminal Investigator?

03/18/08 - First Selectman Peter Tesei said, "Every effort should be made to identify the culprit and prosecute the person."

04/21/08 - You Can Blame This Screw Up On High Paid Parks Department Head Joesph "I Thought I Could Handle A Police Investigation" Sicilano

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Please read comments about this issue:

Cathy says:

Their all a bunch of snobs....Boo-freakin-hoo! So someone might want to use your beaches who don't live there.

So what? If they are willing to pay for a pass,let them.

I understand there are fake passes out there,and for the person who alledgedly made them,why do you have an attorney? You have something to hide?? I guess you do.

Jack says:

Go after the real criminals who break in our homes and kill us,the beach belongs to everyone.

Joan says:

Greenwich residents pay taxes for beach upkeep and the people using fake passes do not.

The beach belong to every one at the high water mark. You can walk the beach at that point by following the coast line.It was done many years ago by activist Ned Coll from Hartford. He marched a group of people along the coast to prove that point.

Bruce says:

The fact is the very rich have bought up the Conn. coastline.

As a child my family used to rent a cottage for at least 20 years until it was sold to some guy from NY.

It was bulldozed; a mansion on the water went up and such is the case over and over.

We are supposed to just be good little middle class serfs and be happy about our $3.79 gas also.

Middle Greenwich says:

I can sort of understand why Port Chester and other Westchester residents would want access since their towns don't have a beach but why is that Stamford residents are the ones who want access?

Aren't Stamford beaches good enough for them? Everyone keeps pointing fingers at Greenwich but the real snobs are the Stamford residents who think their city and beaches are beneath them and full of riff-raff and want to go to Greenwich for everything because they are sad, miserable poseurs who want to avoid their own beaches and neighbors.

Anon says:

The point here is counterfeit beach passes. People are using them knowingly to avoid paying for the use of the beach. Batman or Bruce Wayne,please be a good little boy and put your cape and batmobile away and I''l let you use my beach pass.

Alexis says:

if you do some homework you can find information about similar lawsuits up and down the coast, the cities and towns lose because the old laws on the books preserve the coastline for everyone to use. not just the residents of that neighborhood or town.

that is why the Rye town beach didn't fight it years ago.

having said that, the counterfeiters will be found out eventually. people are not that good at keeping secrets.

Russ Says:

I think you can find snobs anywhere you go.

The people who were caught with the counterfeit passes should be prosecuted to the FULL extent of the law. Hit 'em with fraud, larceny & tresspassing charges....see how long they refuse to be questioned by police when they have a couple thousand in fines hanging over their heads!