FLORIDA MAN SENTENCED FOR CONSPIRING TO PASS COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY

[Knoxville, TN] - John Michael Gonzalez, 45, of Miami Beach, Florida, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Thomas A. Varlan to imprisonment of 12 months. Judge Varlan also sentenced Gonzalez to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered him to pay $8,500 in restitution.

Gonzalez pled guilty on December 9, 2008, to one count of conspiring to pass counterfeit currency. According to stipulated facts presented at the time Gonzalez entered into his guilty plea, Gonzalez and two other individuals -- one of whom was not identifed or indicted --conspired to pass counterfeit federal reserve notes to merchants in Knoxville, Maryville and Sevierville, then travelled to East Tennessee for that sole purpose. In conjunction with his guilty plea, Gonzales admitted passing counterfeit $100 notes to merchants on fourteen occasions between April 16 and April 18, 2008.
This investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Dale, Jr., represented the United States.
For additional information, please contact United States Attorney James R. “Russ” Dedrick, Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Dale, Jr, or Public Information Officer Sharry Dedman-Beard at 865-5454167.