Rome Wasn’t Counterfeited In A Day

At the ripe young age of 25 Atlanta Georgia’s Vincent Gerome Rome Jr., pleaded guilty to manufacturing counterfeit $100 bills along with being a felon in a charge of a possession of a firearm.

Over an approximately two-year period ending in August 2011, Rome created over $1.2 million in counterfeit $100 bills by removing the original image from genuine $5 bills using bleach or other commercial cleaners and solvents, and printing a new image bearing a $100 denomination on the genuine currency paper.

Rome then sold the counterfeit currency to others in the Atlanta metropolitan area, who in turn passed the counterfeit currency in over ten states, primarily in the Southeast.

During a search of Rome’s residence in August 2011, law enforcement recovered multiple bleaching trays, one of which contained $5 bills sitting in a commercial degreaser that were in the process of having the $5 images removed, multiple printers, dozens of bank wrappers used to wrap stacks of $5 bills, thousands in counterfeit $100 bills, and three firearms.

Reginald G. Moore, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, Atlanta Field Office, said, “Since investigating counterfeit U.S. currency has been a core federal violation for the United States Secret Service for nearly 150 years, protecting the integrity as well as maintaining the public’s trust in our nation’s currency is a priority. This case demonstrates the negative impact of counterfeit currency on our local economy. In conjunction with our local law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively pursue those who manufacture and pass counterfeit currency to the fullest extent of the law.”

While, United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “This defendant may have used an old-fashioned method to make counterfeit currency, but he made a staggering amount. As this case shows, counterfeiting cash is more risky than ever, and the Secret Service is well equipped to make old-fashioned arrests and put defendants like this one in prison.”

Rome will be sentenced in early February of 2012 – Source.

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