Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Simon Keith Angaran (50, Tampa) to five years and four months in federal prison for conspiracy to make and pass counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and for making counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.
Angaran had pleaded guilty on January 28, 2021.
According to court documents, from at least December 2016 through February 2020, Angaran was the ringleader of a conspiracy that made and passed counterfeit currency at locations across Tampa Bay. Law enforcement first identified the conspiracy in June 2019 after a co-conspirator had passed a counterfeit bill at a thrift shop in Tampa. In total, the conspirators passed counterfeit bills more than 1,000 times for a total loss of $135,010.
In February 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Angaran’s residence and discovered that he was making and printing the counterfeit bills there. Angaran later admitted that he had taught his conspirators how to make and pass counterfeit bills.
On February 18, 2021, Judge Merryday sentenced Christina Shante Perez, one of Angaran’s co-conspirators, to three years’ imprisonment for making and passing counterfeit bills.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Tampa Police Department, and the Seminole Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Tiffany E. Fields.