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Feds investigating bogus cash at high school
WTNH-TV, New Haven ^ | November 4, 2003 | AP

Posted on 11/05/2003 7:49:42 AM PST by LurkedLongEnough

(Colchester-AP, Nov. 4, 2003 Updated 5:58 PM) _ The Secret Service wants to know how bogus cash turned up in a Colchester school's vending machine.

A fake quarter at Bacon Academy High School was discovered when bank officials tallied the regular deposit of coins from the school's three vending machines last week. The quarter appeared to be one of the special state-issue coins and displayed the symbol of Maine, but was missing ridges on the edge.

The discovery comes less than two weeks after school officials notified police of an altered one-dollar bill was also pulled from a fake vending machine.

State police notified the Secret Service, which has jurisdiction in counterfeiting investigations.

Counterfeit coins are rare, according to Sean Gallagher, resident agent in charge at the Secret Service's New Haven office.

Counterfeiting U.S. currency is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to 15 years, or both.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Connecticut; US: Maine
KEYWORDS: colchester; counterfeit; currency; money; secretservice
practical joke? or beginning of a trend? BOLO.
1 posted on 11/05/2003 7:49:42 AM PST by LurkedLongEnough
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To: LurkedLongEnough
cool, pictures?
2 posted on 11/05/2003 7:51:05 AM PST by dakine
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To: LurkedLongEnough
what is a fake vending machine????
3 posted on 11/05/2003 7:53:32 AM PST by camas
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To: LurkedLongEnough
The discovery comes less than two weeks after school officials notified police of an altered one-dollar bill was also pulled from a fake vending machine.
altered one-dollar bill? What? Was the corner folded over? Oh No!!!!

Fake vending machines? What AP loser wrote this?

4 posted on 11/05/2003 7:55:51 AM PST by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: LurkedLongEnough
More info from the Norwich Bulletin:

COLCHESTER -- A quarter deposited into a vending machine at Bacon Academy High School has sparked investigation by state police and notification to the U.S. Secret Service.

The suspected counterfeit quarter was discovered when bank officials tallied the regular deposit of coins from the school's three vending machines last week.

The only anomaly in the appearance of the quarter, which displayed the Maine symbol, was ridges missing from the edge.

"It was so good," said State Trooper Thomas Moysey. "I could hand it to you and you would never know (the difference)."

The discovery comes less than two weeks after school officials notified police of an "altered" $1 bill, also pulled from a school vending machine. That incident was reported to police on Oct. 22.

The $1 bill, said school principal Jeffrey Mathieu, "felt like a dollar bill," but upon closer inspection was "not even close." It was close enough to fool a vending machine, however, he said.

Counterfeit coins are rare, according to Sean Gallagher, resident agent in charge at the Secret Service's New Haven office. The Secret Service has exclusive jurisdiction in counterfeiting investigations.

"In my 19 years here I've never seen a counterfeit coin," Gallagher said. "The denomination most frequently counterfeited is a $20."

The government recently started circulating harder to copy $20s. The new $20s are the first of a new generation of bills that will be available over the next several years to keep up with new technology, Gallagher said.

State police likely will work in cooperation with the Secret Service to determine the source of the quarter.

Manufacturing or possession of counterfeit United States currency, or altering genuine currency, is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to 15 years, or both. Anyone who manufactures a counterfeit U.S. coin in any denomination above five cents is subject to the same penalties as all other counterfeiters. by Greg Smith of the Norwich Bulletin


5 posted on 11/05/2003 7:57:25 AM PST by LurkedLongEnough (Wrapped in saran wrap wrapping.)
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To: avg_freeper; camas
It appears that the AP might have confused the counterfeit money with the actual vending machine.
6 posted on 11/05/2003 7:59:26 AM PST by LurkedLongEnough (Wrapped in saran wrap wrapping.)
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Let's see......the secret service are out in Colchester investigating $1.25 in counterfeit money.

Perhaps they should run down to the U.S. Mint where they are printing counterfeit money to the tune of tens of millions per day to pay for a large budget deficit, thereby robbing the rest of us.
7 posted on 11/05/2003 7:59:46 AM PST by Abe Froman
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To: avg_freeper
It's hard to find good help these days!:^{
8 posted on 11/05/2003 8:00:08 AM PST by SwinneySwitch (Freedom isn't Free - Support the Troops & Vets!!)
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To: camas
"...what is a fake vending machine????"

I've encountered those. Yer pays yer money and yer gets no choice.

Don't tip the vender.

9 posted on 11/05/2003 8:04:23 AM PST by NicknamedBob (I wouldn't be judgmental, if people weren't so STUPID!)
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To: LurkedLongEnough
the coin was probably part of a mis-stamped batch from the mint.

NOBODY is going to make a fake $.25 They cost more than that to make.

The Dollar bill? Well that is a lot easier with a new dollar bill, a bit of paint thinner and a piece of paper the size of a 1$ (used to work anyway) The dollar bill changers used to test for the ink.

Oh My! Did I break a law on how to make "funny money" ?
10 posted on 11/05/2003 8:05:42 AM PST by steplock (www.FOCUS.GOHOTSPRINGS.com)
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To: LurkedLongEnough
Counterfeiting quarters just doesn't make sense. Produced in small volume, they would certainly cost more than $0.25 each to fabricate. The risk of being caught would preclude large volumes. I would put my money [pun intended] on this being a mint error.
11 posted on 11/05/2003 8:06:38 AM PST by Cooter
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To: steplock
GMTA
12 posted on 11/05/2003 8:08:37 AM PST by Cooter
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To: LurkedLongEnough
"...Anyone who manufactures a counterfeit U.S. coin in any denomination above five cents..."

Boy! If I had a nickle for every time I got ripped off by a vending machine...

13 posted on 11/05/2003 8:08:52 AM PST by NicknamedBob (I wouldn't be judgmental, if people weren't so STUPID!)
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To: LurkedLongEnough
The discovery comes less than two weeks after school officials notified police of an "altered" $1 bill, also pulled from a school vending machine. That incident was reported to police on Oct. 22.

The $1 bill, said school principal Jeffrey Mathieu, "felt like a dollar bill," but upon closer inspection was "not even close." It was close enough to fool a vending machine, however, he said.

How do you "alter" a one dollar bill? Either it's a one dollar bill or it's not. Did someone draw Groucho glasses on Old George?

It's sad that our govt., unable to protect the borders, has so much time on it's hands that it can launch an investigation into who drew a mustache on Washington.

14 posted on 11/05/2003 8:15:03 AM PST by Jim Cane ("I've always lived twice." ~ Dr. Sarcophagus.)
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To: LurkedLongEnough
I recall seeing a documentary on counterfeiting which told the story of an elderly British man, living on a pension. Once a month, he took pen and ink and drew a £50 note, which he used to buy provisions. He did this for many months until getting caught, or so I seem to recall.

--Boris

15 posted on 11/05/2003 8:15:21 AM PST by boris (The deadliest Weapon of Mass Destruction in History is a Leftist With a Word Processor)
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To: steplock
MANUFACTURING 1 716 Level 2 - Year 1 Credit

The world of manufacturing is a fascinating field which is changing daily. Manufacturing technology is the study of how to produce a product in an industrial setting. Students will learn to obtain natural resources, produce industrial materials, and make finished products. Several manufacturing projects will be designed and produced to enhance knowledge gained through research and field trips. Students should expect to spend large amounts of time visiting area manufacturing plants and producing products in the manufacturing laboratory. A major por tion of the course will be manufacturing frames and producing vendor parts for personal vehicles made in Transportation class.

MANUFACTURING 2 726 Level 2 - Year 1 Credit

This course is offered to students who show an in-depth interest in Manufacturing and will strengthen skills introduced in Manufacturing 1. Students are usually scheduled with the Manufacturing 1 class or as an independent study.

Prerequisite: Manufacturing 1.

Stoonts will learn.

Pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters, dollar bills .... The bank account is in the brain and will be drawn from at a future time.

Any teenage boy that first discovers messin' with cars soon learns of the expense involved and trivializes it because so much has been learned.

It's so cool ... y'know?

16 posted on 11/05/2003 8:19:34 AM PST by knarf (A place where anyone can learn anything ... especially that which promotes clear thinking.)
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To: boris
"...he took pen and ink and drew a £50 note..."

Don't know about that, but there's an old Black & White movie about a guy who drove the SS nuts making one dollar bills. (I believe the title was Mr. 880)

I asked my wife once what she wanted for her birthday. She said, "A $100 bill!"
I said "Okay, you can have the Phone bill!"

17 posted on 11/05/2003 8:22:21 AM PST by NicknamedBob (I wouldn't be judgmental, if people weren't so STUPID!)
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To: LurkedLongEnough; Poohbah
A while back, a lot of fake $1 and $5 bills were showing up in the change machines of a video arcade.

Turned out to be a bunch of kids who found a new way of making their money go further. Next door to the acrade was a Kinko's.
18 posted on 11/05/2003 8:55:03 AM PST by hchutch ("I don't see what the big deal is, I really don't." - Major Vic Deakins, USAF (ret.))
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To: LurkedLongEnough
Ah for the days of nickel cokes and lead filled washers.
19 posted on 11/05/2003 1:52:35 PM PST by razorback-bert
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To: LurkedLongEnough
Several counterfeit $1 bills have turned up at a college near me. Apparently, someone with a very good printer has been hard at work, and must have figured the cashier would pay less attention to a $1 bill than a $20.
20 posted on 11/05/2003 1:58:56 PM PST by mountaineer
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