Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts of Los Angeles, California and the U.S.

January 23, 2007

EUREKA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO PASSING COUNTERFEIT $100 BILLS

Investigation by United States Secret Service Leads to Conviction

SAN FRANCISCO – United States Attorney Kevin V. Ryan announced that Rickie Shane Cook pleaded guilty today to passing $1,100 in counterfeit United States currency. The guilty plea is the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service.

In pleading guilty, Cook admitted to the felony charge that he passed counterfeit currency, knowing it was counterfeit, and with an intent to defraud. Cook passed $400 of the counterfeit bills to merchants in Eureka, California, on March 21, 2005. He was initially arrested by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department.

Cook, 32 and a resident of Eureka, will be sentenced on April 30, 2007, by United States District Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel. Cook was charged in a one-count information with violating Title 18 U.S.C. § 472.

The maximum statutory penalty for knowingly passing counterfeit United States currency with an intent to defraud is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, a $100 special assessment, and restitution to victims of the crime. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

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CALIFORNIA CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER

JOSEPH SHEMARIA

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Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts of Los Angeles, California and the U.S.