Photocopied bills circulated in Louisville, Jeffersonville and New Albany areas
CLARKSVILLE - Joseph H. Hogsett, United States Attorney, announced today that Johnathon Alan Frantz, 22, of Clarksville, Indiana, was charged by federal grand jury indictment with making, possessing and passing counterfeit United States currency following an investigation by the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Jeffersonville and Clarksville Indiana Police Departments.
“Maintaining the integrity of our currency is a priority of my office," said Hogsett. “Those who chose to compromise our economy with fake bills will be held accountable.
The indictment alleges that between July 7, 2013 and November, 18, 2013, Frantz produced counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes using a color copier. Frantz then used the counterfeit notes he produced to purchase goods including gift cards and debit cards to obtain change in the form of genuine United States currency. He operated this scheme at various retail outlets and restaurants in the Clarksville, New Albany, Corydon and Louisville areas. In total, Frantz passed nearly $7,000.00 in counterfeit bills.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd S. Shellenbarger, who is prosecuting the case for the government, Frantz faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. An initial hearing will be scheduled in Evansville, Indiana, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
