Counterfeit Money—Pennsylvania

The United States Secret Service has detected a marked increase in the amount of counterfeit money being circulated through Western Pennsylvania.^[1] The Secret Service is seizing up to $5,000 a week in bogus bills, most of which are in denominations of $20 or $50, and which are used mostly at convenience stores, gas stations, and taverns.^[2] A number of arrests are expected to be made in the coming weeks, and according to Jeff Eisenberger, the Special Agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Pittsburgh field office, the quality of the fake money is “horrible.”^[3]

Counterfeiting money is a serious federal crime punished by 18 U.S.C. §§ 471 and 472. Under section 471, any person who, with the intent to defraud, makes, forges, counterfeits, or alters US currency can be punished by a fine, imprisonment for up to 20 years, or both.

Under section 472, any person who, with the intent to defraud, attempts to pass such counterfeit currency can be fined, sent to prison for up to 20 years, or both.

We have previously discussed counterfeit currency in a transnational context here.

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[1] Richard Byrne Reilly, Counterfeiters Blanket Area with Funny Money, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Sept. 20, 2005, available here.
[2] Id.
[3] Id.