Five Indicted for Passing Counterfeit Currency

Five people were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy and passing counterfeit U.S. currency, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Indicted are: Eugene Allen, 55; Lisabeth Dayton, 33, of Canton; Joshua Moore, 24, of Hartville; Aaron Steed, 26, and David Wyatt, 44, of Akron.

The defendants executed a scheme whereby they would receive and pass counterfeit U.S. currency at businesses across Northern Ohio and elsewhere, purchasing goods and receiving genuine U.S. currency in exchange, according to the indictment.

The defendants received counterfeit $50 and $100 bills and passed them at stores in Mansfield, St. Clair Township, Canton and elsewhere, according to the indictment.

The United States Secret Service in Cleveland conducted the investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Miranda E. Dugi.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any, the their roles in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.