A New Orleans resident has been indicted for allegedly participating in a scheme to manufacture and distribute counterfeit $100 bills. According to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson, Amanda Cangelosi, 39, was charged on August 22, 2025, with conspiracy to make and pass counterfeit United States currency as well as passing counterfeit one hundred dollar bills.
The indictment states that Cangelosi worked with others to create fake $100 bills by altering genuine $1 bills and using them to pay for goods and services. Authorities allege that the goal was to trick merchants into accepting the altered notes as legitimate $100 bills. The charges specify that Cangelosi knowingly used three of these counterfeit bills at a hotel in Metairie, Louisiana.
If convicted on the conspiracy charge, Cangelosi faces up to five years in prison; if convicted of passing counterfeit currency, she could face up to twenty years behind bars. Conviction on both counts may also result in a fine of up to $500,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee. Restitution may also be ordered.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson commented: "An indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt."
Simpson also commended the investigative efforts of the United States Secret Service and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiwana Wright from the Financial Crimes Unit is leading the prosecution.
