Three PA residents arrested for counterfeit bills

Pittsburgh white collar crimes attorney

White collar crimes such as passing counterfeit bills can land you in a world of trouble. A few Pittsburgh-area residents recently found that out the hard way. Two men from Belle Vernon and a woman from Charleroi, along with a person from New York were indicted this past Tuesday for conspiracy and possessing and passing counterfeit bills.

Counterfeit money crimes

The investigation officially began in July when a Pennsylvania State Policeman busted a 31-year-old Belle Vernon man for using a fake $100 at a cash register in a grocery store in Connellsville, PA. Upon his arrest, the man admitted that he and another man, a 36-year-old also from Belle Vernon, were using fake bills in stores in areas between Uniontown and West Mifflin. The men admitted that they received the fake money from a person in New York City who used a special coating on the bills to make them look and feel real. One of the men admitted to a Secret Service informant that he spent at least $2000 in fake money in the month of July. Once a warrant was obtained, authorities tailed one of the suspects who was meeting with the NYC contact. He was identified as a 25-year-old New York native. While observing the two men, authorities say they used one of the fake $100 bills at the gas station where they met.