Brooklyn Man Charged With Passing Counterfeit Bills

     The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that a felony information has been filed against Ketsy Devis, age 24, of Brooklyn, New York.  The information charges Devis with conspiracy to pass counterfeit federal reserve notes at various locations throughout the Middle District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

     Devis could be imprisoned for a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years and fines in the amount of $250,000.

     The case was jointly investigated by Special Agent Jason Wolfson of the United States Secret Service and the Dickson City Police Department.

     Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Olshefski.

     Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

     A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

     In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 5 years imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.