David Michael Gibson Sentenced in Columbia Counterfeiting Ring

David Michael Gibson, 39, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for his role in a counterfeit currency scheme that flooded local businesses with fake bills. Gibson pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Manufacture and Pass Counterfeit Currency, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, § 371, bringing a close to a years-long operation that began in Kershaw County.

U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis handed down the sentence, which follows earlier judgments against co-conspirators Travis Cree Stafford, also 39 of Columbia, sentenced to 46 months, and Justin William Watson, 32, also of Columbia, who received 9 months. All three were tied to a network of homemade counterfeiting that used consumer-grade printers and chemical washing of real currency to create fraudulent Federal Reserve Notes.

The operation unraveled on March 15, 2016, when agents from SLED and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at Stafford’s residence. Inside, they seized equipment and materials used to produce counterfeit money. Stafford admitted to producing between $100,000 and $150,000 in fake bills over a seven-year span, motivated by a drug dependency he funded with illicit cash.

Stafford began by buying $1,000 in counterfeit notes for just $100 from a drug dealer. He later began producing his own, selling the fakes at 10% of face value. By early 2016, he had trained his roommate, David Gibson, in the method. The pair produced an additional $5,000 to $7,000 in counterfeit currency, with Gibson washing real bills to pass off as fully legitimate.

Gibson and his girlfriend circulated the fake notes at small retail stores across Kershaw County, exploiting limited anti-counterfeit training. Meanwhile, Stafford sold counterfeit bills to Justin William Watson, who agreed to purchase $10,000 for $1,000. Stafford only delivered $5,000, for which Watson paid $200—still enough to secure his conviction.

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, SLED, and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston David Holliday, Jr., prosecuted the defendants in federal court, underscoring the federal reach of currency fraud. The sentencing marks the end of a sordid chapter in Columbia’s underground economy—one built on ink, desperation, and paper that was never worth the sum printed on it.