Florida Man Sentenced In Counterfeit Money Scheme

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Orlando, Florida, man convicted of Passing Counterfeit Obligations of the United States was sentenced on January 27, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier.

Rafiq McDonald, age 22, was sentenced to 6 months in custody (concurrent with a state sentence he will serve in Wisconsin), to be followed by 2 years of supervised release.  He was also ordered to make restitution in the amount of $400.

McDonald was indicted for Conspiracy to Pass Counterfeit Obligations of the United States and four counts of Passing Counterfeit Obligations of the United States by a federal grand jury on March 13, 2013.  He pled guilty to one count of Passing Counterfeit Obligations on November 6, 2013.

McDonald and two co-defendants, Macquillie Isaac Woodard, age 22, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Timothy Oben, age 22, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, passed counterfeit $100 bills at various businesses in Sioux Falls in December 2012.  Woodard and Oben also pled guilty to one count of Passing Counterfeit Obligations and were previously sentenced to10 months and 24 months in custody, respectively.  They were also ordered to make restitution.

This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman prosecuted the case.

McDonald was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.