PORT HURON, Mich. – A Michigan man is accused of turning $1 bills into $100 bills.
Benigno Santana, 47, was just released from prison in March for controlled substance violation and operating an illegal lab.
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In April, according to federal court documents Santana was back into his criminal life. The complaint against him alleges that he was bleaching $1 bills and reprinting them to be $100.
What tipped off federal authorities was that when they examined the counterfeit $100 bills, the $1 on the upper right corner of the genuine dollar bill was still visible.
Authorities say you don’t have to be an expert counterfeiter anymore to get quality fake bills. Thieves sell them on the dark web for 20 to 30 cents on the dollar.
Authorities said counterfeiting affects everybody, and they’re taking this case seriously.
Santana was arrested this week. The St. Clair County Drug Task Force said they found $23 thousand in crystal meth in his car, several computers, printers, hard drives and flash drives.
His charges include manufacturing meth, resisting and obstructing police and being a habitual fourth offender. His bond was set at $250,000. He is expected to be arraigned on a secret service criminal complaint at a later date.
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