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Victor Cardona, 34, faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 after admitting to the scheme on Monday, Oct. 3, the US Attorney's Office for Massachusetts said. A judge will sentence him in January.
US Secret Service agents began investigating Cardona in 2019 after stores around Boston reported finding "bleached" $100, court documents show. Agents said they used cell phone data to map out who was passing the counterfeit cash and who they were talking to, which led them to Cardona.
These counterfeits were $1 bills that someone removed the ink from using Mr. Clean Magic Erasers and used the paper to make $100 bills. Investigators said they found several inkjet printer cartridges in Cardona's trash that matched up to the ink used on the counterfeit money. They also found a counterfeit detection pen, which most stores use to test the authenticity of large bills, and four real $100 bills with serial numbers that match up to the fake money, records show.
So far, federal agents have collected $467,000 in counterfeit cash across the country that they say links back to Cardona, they said.
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