Wilkes-Barre

     The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today the filing of a felony Information in U.S. District Court in Scranton charging Fabian Forbes, age 23, of  Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, with a conspiracy to deal in counterfeit United States Federal Reserve Notes.

     According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, the Information charges that Forbes conspired with others in a scheme that involved the bleaching of genuine $1 Federal Reserve Notes for the purpose of printing over those notes with a genuine $100 Federal Reserve Note. The Information charges that Forbes engaged in this activity from December 2012 through June 2013.

     The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. 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 five 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.