Funny money keeps popping up

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jul 7, 2008 by Michael Hooper

By Michael Hooper

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Watch out. Fake U.S. currency has been circulating in Kansas.

Retailers, such as Walgreens, do their best to make sure currency isn't counterfeit, but sometimes they get stuck with paper that isn't worth the ink printed on it.

"We use a pen to tell if the bill's paper is of the higher quality U.S. currency paper," said Jim Heinz, store manager at Walgreens, S.W. 29th and Gage Boulevard.

"All of our stores have had their share (of fake bills)," he said. "We had a (fake) $50 bill a week ago."

The Topeka Police Department has noticed a rise in the incidence of fake currency, ostensibly because of the struggling economy and the increasing costs of food and energy.

"We have seen a higher number of counterfeit bills being passed in the last month or so. We've collected around 70 counterfeit bills," said Kristi Pankratz, spokeswoman for the Topeka Police Department.

U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren this past Thursday charged Vincent Cunningham, 50, of Olathe, with counterfeiting. Cunningham sold $1,150 in counterfeit bills to an informant for $250.

A woman named Angela Peoples, who had been arrested by Topeka police on a forgery warrant, told authorities she had received counterfeit money from Cunningham.

She passed some of the counterfeit money to a Leroy Bradshaw, who was arrested by Topeka police when he attempted to pass a counterfeit $20 at a Dillons grocery store.

Peoples agreed to go to Cunningham's house, where he sold her $1,150 in counterfeit money for $250 legitimate money.

"The counterfeit money appears to be made using a computer printer, or what is known as a three-in-one printer/scanner/ copier," said an affidavit in support of charges against Cunningham.

Counterfeiting of money is one of the oldest crimes in U.S. history. It was a serious problem during the 19th century when banks issued their own U.S. currency.

At the time of the Civil War, it was estimated one-third of all currency in circulation was counterfeit, according to the U.S. Secret Service Web site. The Secret Service is responsible for handling counterfeit crimes.

Special Agent Justin Oesterreich, of the Secret Service, said the quality of the counterfeit bills circulated in the Topeka area was poor.

Oesterreich said counterfeiting runs in cycles. There tends to be more volume of counterfeit bills when there is a lot of retail activity.

He said counterfeiting is easier today because of access to desktop publishing. An Internet search on the subject of counterfeiting yields many results.

The Secret Service says consumers should look at the money carefully and compare a suspect note with a genuine note of the same denomination and series, paying attention to the quality of printing and paper characteristics. Look for differences, not similarities.

Michael Hooper can be reached

at (785)295-1293

or michael.hooper@cjonline.com.