United States of America v. Clinton Curry

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with dealing in counterfeit obligations

California Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Counterfeit Currency Fraud

Clinton Curry, 40, of San Francisco, California, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for dealing in counterfeit obligations, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. U.S. Circuit Judge Richard C. Tallman ordered Curry to pay restitution to the businesses he defrauded. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Curry will also be required to serve an additional three years of supervised release.



According to court records, on September 9, 2023, Curry entered a store in Post Falls, Idaho, and purchased $324 of goods using U.S. currency. After Curry left the store, employees discovered that the majority of the currency used during the purchase consisted of counterfeit bills. Law enforcement was notified and began investigating the incident immediately. Working with the Spokane Office of the U.S. Secret Service, officers quickly learned that Curry had engaged in similar transactions across several western and southern states, including Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Texas. In total, officers discovered 46 separate incidents where Curry had either passed counterfeit currency or was in possession of counterfeit currency. Altogether, Curry used or attempted to use over$40,000 in counterfeit currency.



"This case demonstrates the effectiveness of multi-agency coordination to remove those who would attempt to threaten our financial system by using counterfeit currency,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit.



"The U.S. Secret Service appreciates the collaborative efforts of our partners to investigate the defrauding of a critical element of our financial system," said Special Agent in Charge Glen Peterson of the U.S. Secret Service Seattle Field Office.



U.S. Attorney Hurwit thanked the Spokane Office of the U.S. Secret Service and the Post Falls Police Department for their collaborative investigation on this case, including partnering with many state and local agencies across the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryce Ellsworth prosecuted the case.