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Counterfeiter Busted With Fake Money at Bank Teller's Yard Sale

By Brett Snider, Esq. on November 11, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A Pennsylvania man with a prior conviction for counterfeiting is accused of trying to pass off fake $20 bills at a yard sale.

Gregory Louis Douglas, 40, was allegedly using the counterfeit currency at a yard sale run by Amy Miller of Rayburn, Pennsylvania -- a woman who also works as a bank teller. As Trib Total Media reports, Miller found that the bills Douglas had given her didn't have the security features or the "feel" of genuine U.S. currency.

What kind of charges will Douglas face for his alleged yard sale fraud?

Counterfeiting $20s Is a Serious Crime

According to Trib Total Media, Douglas was charged with felony forgery and misdemeanor theft by deception stemming from the yard sale incident. In Pennsylvania, it is a felony of the second degree to forge money, securities, or even postage, and the offense can be punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Theft by deception occurs when a person deceives another into exchanging property for something she believes is of value -- like fake $20 bills. In this case, Douglas has been charged with theft by deception as a misdemeanor, perhaps because the yard sale purchase was for property under $200 in value.

But these charges are not the only thing weighing on Douglas' mind.

Arrested While on Probation... for Counterfeiting

Turns out this isn't Douglas' first time to be accused of counterfeiting. He pleaded guilty to federal counterfeiting charges in 2010 and was sentenced to nearly three years in prison. Trib Total Media reports that Douglas was out on probation for this conviction when the cops picked him up.

Police also say they found Douglas' abandoned car with "uncut sheets of counterfeit $20 bills and counterfeiting supplies." The car was ditched after Douglas led police on a chase August 18, when they tried to pull him over for a traffic violation. Douglas had a pending arrest warrant for failing to appear at a hearing on yet more charges, this time for "impersonating a public servant and trespass."

Given the likelihood of Douglas not showing up for his next hearing and his various pending criminal charges, it isn't surprising that his bail was set at $220,000.

And even if Douglas tries to make bail, law enforcement will be looking very closely at the bills.

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