PSU Football Recruit Charged in Fake Money Scheme

A Penn State football recruit is facing charges stemming from an alleged scheme to pass fake money at Harrisburg-area fast food restaurants, police said Thursday.
 
Court papers in Dauphin County show the charges against Zayd Issah were filed March 10. The charges include two counts of forgery, two counts of conspiracy and four counts of theft by deception.
 
The court papers do not list a lawyer for Issah, and Issah did not appear to have a listed telephone number. A Penn State team spokesman had no comment Thursday evening.
 
Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico told the Patriot-News of Harrisburg that he was told that Issah is cooperating with Susquehanna Township police. It is unlikely that Issah would get a jail sentence, even if convicted, because he is a first-time adult offender, Marsico told the newspaper.

Issah, who turned 18 in December, starred at Central Dauphin High School. He is considered an important part of this year's Penn State recruiting class because he had a chance to see playing time next fall at linebacker, a position where Penn State is thin.
 
Last week, Penn State head football coach Bill O'Brien told reporters that, because of the lack of depth, it will be important to see whether Issah can help the team on defense and special teams.
 
Issah was arrested after trying to use fake $20 bills to buy food March 9 with two longtime friends at the drive-thru window of a McDonald's restaurant in suburban Harrisburg, police said.
 
Restaurant employees called police and provided a license plate number and a description of their vehicle, police said. Issah's friends told police that Issah had passed counterfeit bills at two locations, police said.
 
They were released on $1,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for May 9.