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Press Release

Tampa Man Sentenced To Prison For Manufacturing Counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes While On Federal Supervised Release

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Darius Jondi Edwards (42, Tampa) to four years and three months in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and for violating his federal supervised release.

Edwards had pleaded guilty on January 25, 2021, and admitted that he had violated his federal supervision by again manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.

According to court documents, in 2015 Edwards pleaded guilty in federal court in Jacksonville to charges he manufactured counterfeit Federal Reserve notes (i.e., counterfeit currency), that he and others passed throughout the Jacksonville area.  Edwards was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

After his release from prison in October 2019, and while still on federal supervised release for those prior counterfeiting charges, the Pinellas Park Police Department arrested Edwards for possession of counterfeit currency and forging/making counterfeit bank bills. During the course of arresting Edwards at a hotel, law enforcement found him to be in possession of counterfeit currency, partially completed counterfeit currency, and computer media used to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Follow up investigation by the United States Secret Service determined that Edwards had purchased the computer media used to manufacture the counterfeit notes in Duval County and then transported the computer media to Pinellas County, where he manufactured the counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.    

This case was investigated by the Pinellas Park Police Department and the United States Secret Service Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Updated May 25, 2021

Topic
Financial Fraud