Clinton Curry, a 40-year-old resident of San Francisco, California, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for his involvement in counterfeit currency fraud. U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the sentencing, which was handed down by U.S. Circuit Judge Richard C. Tallman. In addition to his prison term, Curry is required to pay restitution to the businesses he defrauded and will serve three years of supervised release after completing his sentence.

Court records reveal that on September 9, 2023, Curry used counterfeit bills to purchase $324 worth of goods at a store in Post Falls, Idaho. After he left the premises, employees discovered that most of the currency was fake and alerted law enforcement. The investigation, conducted with the Spokane Office of the U.S. Secret Service, uncovered that Curry had carried out similar fraudulent activities across several states including Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Texas. Authorities identified 46 incidents where Curry either used or possessed counterfeit money totaling over $40,000.

“This case demonstrates the effectiveness of multi-agency coordination to remove those who would attempt to threaten our financial system by using counterfeit currency,” stated U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit.

Special Agent in Charge Glen Peterson from the U.S. Secret Service Seattle Field Office acknowledged the collaborative efforts involved in investigating this case: “The U.S. Secret Service appreciates the collaborative efforts of our partners to investigate the defrauding of a critical element of our financial system."

U.S. Attorney Hurwit expressed gratitude towards the Spokane Office of the U.S. Secret Service and the Post Falls Police Department for their joint efforts in this investigation along with various state and local agencies across the country. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryce Ellsworth prosecuted the case.