Arturo Puello of Queens, New York, Sentenced for Possessing Counterfeit United States Currency

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Arturo Puello, age 32, of Queens, New York, was sentenced on June 22, 2016 in the U.S. District Court in Brattleboro, Vermont, for possessing counterfeit United States currency.  Judge J. Garvan Murtha sentenced Puello to five months imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release.  The Court based its sentence on an analysis of all the relevant sentencing factors, and Puello’s sentence of five months imprisonment was within the range recommended by the advisory federal sentencing guidelines. 

The case began on May 16, 2015 when a Bellows Falls, Vermont police officer found Puello’s vehicle disabled on the side of Vermont Route 5.  After speaking with Puello and other occupants of the disabled vehicle, police conducted a search of the vehicle, which resulted in the discovery of $15,000 in counterfeit United States currency in a compartment in the cargo area of the vehicle.  Puello subsequently admitted to possessing the counterfeit notes and stated that he had received them from a man in New York and transported them to Vermont.  Puello pled guilty in federal court to the charged offense on February 2, 2016.

The case against Puello was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Bellows Falls Police Department. 

The United States was represented in the case by Assistant United States Attorney Kunal Pasricha.  Puello was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defendant David L. McColgin.