A New York couple was arrested and charged with counterfeiting money from their home. What led to them getting caught? Spending the cash locally and leaving the evidence of their operation and their own trash cans!
New York couple counterfeits cash and goes on a spending spree
A couple from Buffalo, New York, were allegedly running a counterfeiting operation out of their home and “spending the cash at dozens of local businesses over several months,” the Department of Justice said.
“Eric M. Butson, 36, and Catalina Hernandez, 41, both of Buffalo, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to manufacture and pass counterfeit United States currency,” U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced in a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York.
Stupid criminal moves: Spending fake cash around town and leaving evidence in their own trash
The first dumb move the criminals made was spending their fake cash at stores in their local area, which drew the attention of law enforcement, and helped investigators narrow down their search grid.
Butson’s and Hernandez’s counterfeiting activities came to the attention of law enforcement after they used a phony $100 bill to make a purchase at Watson’s Chocolates on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo. The store reported the incident and provided surveillance video to the United States Secret Service.
Despite the fact that the counterfeiters were wearing pandemic masks, the mistake the criminals made that got them caught was continuing to use counterfeit $100 bills with the same serial number at multiple other local businesses.
According to the DOJ, the pair passed the fake bills along to at least 11 local businesses or more, including Watson’s Chocolates, Salsaritas, Sunshine and Bluebirds, Elmwood Pet Supplies, Walgreens Drug Store, Hydraulic Hearth, Left Bank Restaurant, Jim’s Steakout, Cheesy Chick Café, and Humbert House Restaurant.
Investigators find evidence in trash can
Criminals will often forget that once you put your trash can on the curb, the contents are public and there for the taking. The law considers that when a person leaves garbage in a public place, such as at the curb for pickup, they have forfeited their ownership rights to the items, and the property is now in the public domain, according to Legal Match. In other words, dumpster diving is legal and fair game.
Nothing says “I’m counterfeiting money” like leaving all the evidence of your handiwork sitting at the curb of your house in your own trash can. But that is exactly the stupid move the criminals made that provided the final evidence leading to their arrest and charges.
“Investigators pulled the trash from the defendants Orlando Street residence, recovering an ink cartridge, a partial counterfeit bill, printer paper with the outlines of bills used to align printing of counterfeit bills, receipts, and bags from businesses on Elmwood Avenue where counterfeit bills were passed, and handwritten addresses of businesses where counterfeit bills were passed,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York, wrote in a press release.
Butson and Hernandez are facing a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted on all charges, according to the DOJ.
