Man Used Mr. Clean Magic Erasers To Change $1 Bills Into $100: Officials

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A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty in relation to a counterfeiting charge stemming from allegations that he used Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, printers and other items to turn $1 bills into $100 bills, MassLive.com reports.

Victor Cardona, 34, pleaded guilty to one charge of counterfeiting U.S. currency in relation to his October 2019 arrest and December 2019 federal grand jury indictment.

Court documents obtained by MassLive.com confirmed that Massachusetts agents had conducted an investigation into "the source of older-style, bleached counterfeit $100 bills" which had been present "in the great Boston area" since January 2019.

Officials said cell phone records tracked down a specific address “of an individual in contact with multiple ‘passers’ of counterfeit currency," which led to the discovery of trash bags on the sidewalk near a Quincy house.

The trash bags were holding clippings of bleached $1 bills reprinted with "an older-style $100 image" and shredded paper with images of the $100 bills, as well as "numerous" Epson 220 inkjet printer cartridges, rubber gloves and Mr. Clean Magic Erasers.

“The counterfeit notes included serial numbers and back plate numbers that match a significant amount of counterfeit $100 bills received in the course of the USSS investigation,” court documents obtained by MassLive.com stated.

Cardona admitted to regularly obtaining materials used for counterfeiting currency dating back to at least summer 2019 while speaking to police about the items, which also included detergent and degreaser, “used to bleach genuine $1 bills on which counterfeit $100 notes are printed," according to the court documents.

Cardona also said he spoke to an individual about counterfeiting materials on a weekly basis and the person came to his house to print the money, with each session resulting in an average of 10-20 counterfeit $100 bills being produced, typically on Sundays.

Cardona claimed he'd burned counterfeit currency and all related items in his backyard, though police located one counterfeit $100 bill in his wallet, according to court documents.

Real $100 bills were also found in an armrest of Cardona's couch.

Cardona will appear in court for sentencing on January 10, 2023, according to MassLive.com.


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