A man from Franklin County, Illinois, was taken into custody after a federal judge sentenced him to 24 months’ imprisonment for producing counterfeit U.S. currency.
East St. Louis, IL – Michael A. Eskew, 38, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to printing counterfeit money.
The charges against Eskew include manufacture of counterfeit obligations of the U.S., possession of counterfeit obligations of the U.S., and possessing digital image of U.S. currency for counterfeiting.
‘Making, using and possessing fake U.S. currency with fraudulent intent is punishable under federal law, and Michael Eskew was maintaining a full-scale, counterfeiting enterprise,’ said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe.
Eskew used printers and electronic images of dollar bills to produce counterfeit U.S. currency at his home. Following a search warrant of Eskew’s residence in July 2019, law enforcement recovered $33,826 in counterfeit bills.
The U.S. Secret Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Gross and Kathleen Howard contributed to the prosecution.
During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Eskew distributed the counterfeit bills to at least five individuals within his community. In addition to imprisonment, Eskew was ordered to pay a $600 fine and serve three years of supervised release.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael Maurello, Embezzlement, Illinois 2023 · Alaska
- Joseph Michael Kehrer, Asbestos Removal Violation, Illinois 2015 · New Hampshire
- Eugene Fanfan, Tax Evasion, Florida 2016 · California
- William M. Mahon, Falsifying Bank Records and Tax Evasion, Illinois 2017 · Washington
- Shauntele Y. Pridgeon, DCFS Computer System Manipulation, Illinois 2022 · Indiana
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
