Counterfeit Bills Passed In Spokane Dozens Of Incidents Reported, Police Say

The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a flurry of counterfeit bills being passed in the Spokane area.

Counterfeiters are passing $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills, just in time for the holiday shopping season, said Michael Coleman, agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Spokane office. Between 30 and 40 incidents have been reported in just the last week, Coleman said.

“We’re getting hit here, right now, as we speak,” he said. “This is a new operation and it started last week.”

The bills are showing up at bars, fast-food restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses where lighting may be dim and cashiers hurried. Twenties are the most common bill passed, Coleman said.

The Secret Service is asking businesses and consumers to inspect their money closely and pay attention to who may be passing the fake bills. A detailed description of the person, or a license plate number, is especially helpful to investigators.

The fake bills passed over the last week have a yellowish tint, Coleman said. They don’t have red and blue security fibers in the paper and don’t have a security thread running down the left side of the bill.

If you look at the bills closely, he said, you’ll see tiny ink dots not found on authentic bills.

The recent cases are not related to last summer’s spate of fake bills, Coleman said. About 150 bills were passed in the Spokane area at that time. Two men, Timothy Ray Candler and Kenneth Goodhope, pleaded guilty to counterfeiting crimes, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Ohms said. Two others, Donald J. Lawson and Jeffrey S. Franks, are awaiting trial.

Although numerous people could be involved in the recent cases, investigators believe a small group is responsible for the printing.

“We have a lot of leads,” Coleman said. “We will aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone involved in this crime.”

Anyone receiving a fake bill or having information on the counterfeiters should call the Secret Service at 353-2532. After hours, they should call the police.

The problem of counterfeiting has increased in recent years as personal computer technology has advanced.

“Up until just a few years ago, you had to be a professional printer to make a good note,” Coleman said.

Now, he said, even some teenagers can create counterfeit money.

, DataTimes