Man Convicted of Manufacturing Counterfeit Currency

A San Diego man was convicted Tuesday by a federal jury of manufacturing and passing counterfeit money by “bleaching” or “washing” the bills and printing them with a higher face value.

Jermaine Harris was found guilty on one count of counterfeiting and forging U.S. obligations and one count of passing counterfeit obligations, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.

On Nov. 15, 2014, San Diego Police Department (SDPD) arrested one person linked to passing fake currency at the Fashion Valley Mall. The United States Secret Service, Regional Task Force, and SDPD discovered a counterfeit currency manufacturing plant at a hotel in Mission Valley on Nov. 16, 2014.

According to authorities, Harris and five other people “bleached” or “washed” the ink off of legitimate small denomination U.S. bill and then printed a higher denomination on them.

Inside the hotel room, U.S. Secret Service Agents found bleaching solutions, printers and various tools that replicate the security features found on genuine U.S. currency along with partially completed and completed counterfeit bills.

The face value for the manufactured counterfeit bills and the ones the group passed exceeded $16,000.

Alexander Eibeck, Sopeap Muk, Nicole Cortes, Meghan Ripley, and Ashley Contreras were sentenced already after pleading guilty.

Harris will be sentenced next year on Feb. 19.
 

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