United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Thor Teal, age 32, of Walker, Louisiana, to 36 months in federal prison following his convictions for manufacturing and possessing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes. The Court further sentenced Teal to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered all instrumentalities used in the commission of this crime to be forfeited.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Teal made and possessed over 48 counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) in the Middle District of Louisiana. Specifically, on Oct. 27, 2021, while investigating a burglary, law enforcement recovered from his vehicle and home over $4,800 in counterfeit $100 FRNs, and items used to manufacture counterfeit FRNs including six sheets of counterfeit security strips (found in $100 FRNs), two printers (one with marks to assist with making FRNs), boxes of linen paper, several printer cartridges, a paper cutter, and spray starch. When questioned about the contraband, Teal admitted to law enforcement he had been making the counterfeit FRNs for several months and went on to describe how he made it.
This matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M.P. Thornhill.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys