Getting charged with a crime at the federal level often means higher potential penalties than charges at the state level. Some crimes, such as tax evasion, are the exclusive jurisdiction of federal law, while others, such as drug crimes, can be prosecuted at either level.
Since the potential incarceration and other penalties associated with a conviction in federal court tend to be significantly higher, it is very important to take those charges very seriously. One vital step is to find the right defense attorney as soon as possible.
A New York City man who was arrested in April on suspicion of trying to pass counterfeit money now also is facing federal charges. In early June, a grand jury indicted him based on the same evidence.
According to authorities, the man was arrested after several teenage girls were caught at a mall in another state trying to spend fake $1,000 worth of fake $100 bills. Officers found the man in a bathroom at the mall and arrested him, accusing him of getting the girls to try to pass the counterfeit currency to get real money as change.
He was charged in state court with aggravated forgery, which may suggest that state prosecutors are accusing him of making counterfeit money. Then, on June 3, a federal grand jury indicted the defendant with trying to pass counterfeit money. That charges carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Meanwhile, the girls are still in custody at a juvenile detention center.
Source: Portland Press Herald, “N.Y. man pleads not guilty to counterfeit scheme at Maine Mall,” Scott Dolan, June 20, 2014