US prosecutors to charge American counterfeiter

Federal authorities in Pittsburgh, US, have said they will be pressing criminal charges against an American man accused of leading an international counterfeit money operation based in the African nation of Uganda.

The US Attorney David Hickton said in a news conference that 27-year-old Ryan Andrew Gustafson stands accused of counterfeiting more than $2m in fake dollars, some of which were to be mailed to the US hidden in charity pamphlets.

Some of the counterfeit bills had already been glued between pages of pamphlets entitled: 'Give a Child Hope Today', according to court papers.

Prosecutors say Gustafson, also known as 'Jack Farrel' and 'Willy Clock', is alleged to have offered the notes for sale via an online forum he ran called Community-X. They add that he wore rubber gloves while preparing the packages so as not to leave fingerprints.

Gustafson was arrested in Uganda last week, and was allegedly found with several sophisticated printing machines used to churn out American currency, some of which was exchanged in that country. Prosecutors now say they have enough evidence to bring criminal charges against Gustafson.

It is not yet clear where in the US Gustafson comes from although the criminal complaint said a Texas identification card and a Colorado driver's license in his name were found during the raid on his house.

The US Secret Service, whose agents investigate financial crime across the globe, have said it 'supported an operation' by Ugandan police who later arrested Gustafson at his home in a suburb of the capital Kampala, Uganda.

In December 2013, the Secret Service began investigating the circulation of counterfeit US Federal Reserve notes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The investigation identified counterfeit notes believed to have been manufactured in Uganda. The service later identified Community-X as the source of the distribution of the counterfeit currency.

"The secret service will continue to dismantle criminal networks that seek to victimize American and international citizens or denigrate our national currency, regardless of geographic distance or border," said Paul Morrissey, its assistant director of investigations, in a statement.

Gustafson is also charged in Uganda with possession and dealing in counterfeit currency, as well as unlawful possession of ammunition.