TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Spring Hill man was sentenced to time in federal prison for producing counterfeit bank notes from the Federal Reserve, as well as aiding and abetting the passage and possession of them.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Derrick Kamran Collins was the source of counterfeit Federal Reserve notes across the Middle District from 2017 to 2019. In this role, he was “part of a scheme to pass the counterfeit bills in order to defraud businesses.”
Collins was paid part of the proceeds while the operation “successfully pass[ed] the counterfeit currency.”
During a March 2019 traffic stop by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Collins and multiple other individuals in a vehicle together were pulled over at the River City Marketplace on the suspicion of passing the counterfeit notes.
While searching the vehicle, officers found “multiple counterfeit $100 bills throughout the vehicle and glove box.” Law enforcement determined Collins was the source of the fakes by multiple people in the North Florida area, as well as the marketplace.
Additionally, in November 2019, Collins was stopped by officers from the New Port Richey Police Department, where officers “observed signs of impairment.” During their investigation of Collins for driving under the influence, he refused to take part in a field sobriety test and was arrested for DUI.
While taking inventory of the vehicle, NPRPD officers “located several sheets of counterfeit $100 bills in various stages of manufacturing in the trunk of the vehicle” as well as “computer media.” In the glove box, officers found finished counterfeit bills and “illicit proceeds from the passing of counterfeit cash, bundled together.”
USAO said Collins was the fourth individual to be prosecuted for the counterfeiting operation, after a long-term investigation of counterfeiting around New Port Richey and North Florida.
The other three individuals who have been prosecuted so far are from Tampa, according to USAO. They were sentenced in 2020 for passing notes produced by Collins and ordered to pay restitution in addition to time under supervision or in federal prison.
- Charles Alexander Coriaty, III (Tampa) was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes
- Brett Lawrence Rozenburgh (Tampa) was sentenced to 13 months’ imprisonment for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes
- Samantha Jade Falcone (Tampa) was sentenced to 2 years’ federal supervision for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes
Collins will serve 30 months in federal prison, following his Oct. 25 conviction during a bench trial. Collins was also ordered to “forfeit computer equipment utilized for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and $2,846.18 in illicit proceeds from his counterfeiting activities.”