OPELOUSAS, LA – A local man is headed to federal prison after a scheme to flood the Opelousas area with fake cash unraveled, according to court documents. Gabriel Bates, 33, was sentenced today to 26 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release, for counterfeiting U.S. currency.
The case began last August when officers with the Opelousas Police Department responded to a donut shop after a report of a suspicious $20 bill. That initial investigation quickly led them to Bates, who was identified as the man who passed the fake currency. Unbeknownst to Bates, the U.S. Secret Service was already investigating him as a suspect in a larger counterfeiting operation.
Agents secured a search warrant for Bates’ Opelousas residence on August 29, 2022. The search yielded a substantial haul: numerous counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes, including both $20 and $100 bills. Adding insult to injury, Bates was found with an additional counterfeit $20 bill and handwritten instructions detailing how to manufacture the fake money, stuffed in his pockets. Forensic analysis by the Federal Reserve confirmed the bills seized were indeed bogus.
After waiving his Miranda rights, Bates confessed to manufacturing the counterfeit currency and actively passing it at various locations throughout Opelousas in an attempt to defraud businesses and individuals. He admitted to deliberately using the fake bills hoping they’d be accepted as legitimate tender. The scope of the operation, and how long Bates had been running it, remains unclear.
The U.S. Secret Service worked in conjunction with the Opelousas Police Department on the investigation, highlighting the importance of interagency cooperation in combating financial crimes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon prosecuted the case, securing the conviction and subsequent sentencing of Bates.
This case serves as a stark reminder that counterfeiting is a serious federal offense. While the amounts involved may seem small, the damage to the financial system and the erosion of trust in currency are significant. Bates’ 26-month sentence sends a clear message: those who attempt to profit from fake money will face serious consequences.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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