Special Assistant U. S. Attorney Stephanie G. Chau (619) 546-9174 and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Wheat (619) 546-8437
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY - Nov. 18, 2015
SAN DIEGO - Jermaine Harris of San Diego was convicted by a federal jury yesterday of manufacturing and passing counterfeit currency following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo.
A federal jury deliberated less than one day and found Harris guilty of one count of Counterfeiting and Forging Obligations of the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 471 and one count of Passing Counterfeit Obligations, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 472.
At trial, the government presented evidence that Harris, along with co-defendants Alexander Eibeck, Sopeap Muk, Meghan Ripley, Nicole Cortes and Ashley Contreras, operated a counterfeit currency manufacturing plant from a hotel room in Mission Valley.
On Nov. 15, 2014, the San Diego Police Department arrested one of the six individuals for passing counterfeit United States Federal Reserve Notes at the Fashion Valley Mall. On Nov. 16, 2014, the San Diego Police Department and the United States Secret Service, Regional Task Force, discovered the manufacturing plant.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the six defendants manufactured counterfeit U.S. currency by “bleaching" or “washing" the ink off of genuine small-denomination bills and then using a printer to print images of higher-denomination bills on the washed currency paper. A search of the hotel room yielded a wide variety of physical evidence, including completed and partially completed counterfeit currency, printers, bleaching solution, and various tools used to replicate the security features of legitimate U.S. currency. U.S. Secret Service agents discovered that the defendants had been using electronic devices to view and manipulate images of legitimate U.S. currency features to produce counterfeit $100 bills.
Subsequent investigation revealed that the group victimized numerous businesses in the San Diego area by passing the counterfeit $100 bills. According to the plea agreement for Eibeck, the face value of the counterfeit bills manufactured and passed by the group exceeded $16,000.
Eibeck, Muk, Ripley, Cortes and Contreras were previously sentenced after pleading guilty. Judge Bencivengo will sentence Harris on Feb. 19, 2016.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service.
“The United States Secret Service would like to thank the San Diego Police Department, as well as our other state and local law enforcement partners in the San Diego Regional Fraud Task Force for all their efforts and assistance with this investigation," said Special Agent in Charge David Murray.
DEFENDANT Case Number: 14CR3488-CAB
Jermaine Harris Age: 34
Alexander Eibeck Age: 27
Sopeap Muk Age: 28
Nicole Cortes Age: 29
Meghan Ripley Age: 35
Ashley Contreras Age: 22
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Counterfeiting and Forging Obligations, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 471
Maximum penalty: 20 years
Passing Counterfeit Obligations, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 472
Maximum penalty: 20 years
AGENCIES
United States Secret Service, San Diego Regional Task Force
San Diego Police Department
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
