Teen Needed Money, Made His Own
Man sold fake $100 for $20, authorities say
Updated 1:19 PM CST, Tue, Jul 28, 2009
We know times are tough, but one Chicago teenager apparently got a little creative when it came to earning some extra money this summer.
Federal authorities said 18-year-old Arthur J. Williams III was arrested Monday by the Secret Service, charged with selling counterfeit $100 bills.
According to the complaint, an individual told Secret Service agents in May that he/she had been purchasing counterfeit $100 bills, for $20 each, from Williams weekly for about two months. He was released on $10,000 bond into his mother's custody.
If convicted, Williams faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a real $250,000 fine.
Spokesman for the US attorney, Randall Samborn, declined to comment whether Williams produced the counterfeit money himself or whether there was an ongoing national investigation, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The individual agreed to cooperate and purchased fake bills from Williams on three occasions. On June 16, Williams allegedly sold the person 24 counterfeit $100 bills for $480. He sold 30 additional bills for $600 on June 17, and another 10 for $200 on June 23, the complaint alleges.
After each transaction, agents matched the serial numbers of the bogus bills and discovered counterfeits with the same numbers, totaling $112,900, had been passed in at least a dozen states nationwide in recent months.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Chicago
First Published: Jul 1, 2009 3:50 PM CST
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