Jacksonville, Florida Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that James Edward Langford, IV (30, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to manufacturing and possessing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. He faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison, forfeiture of the computer media used to manufacture the counterfeit notes, and payment of restitution to any victims he defrauded.
According to court documents, in late July 2017, law enforcement officers received information that Langford was manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes at a hotel in Jacksonville. On July 25, 2017, U.S. Secret Service agents surveilled the hotel room and observed Langford and two others leave the room. Langford and one of the individuals discarded full trash bags by the hotels trash area. A search of the bags revealed several uncut sheets of wadded paper with printed images of counterfeit $20 bills.
Later that day, agents observed Langford leave the room and exit the hotel parking lot. Surveillance teams observed him driving erratically, cutting across three lanes of traffic, speeding, entering an intersection, and then making a sudden U-turn. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop and during a search of Langford, multiple counterfeit $20 Federal Reserve notes were recovered from his wallet. A subsequent search of Langfords hotel room revealed numerous counterfeit notes and the computer media used to manufacture them, along with chemicals commonly used to remove the ink from genuine bills during the counterfeiting process.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office and the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
--DOJ Middle District of Florida
Source: U.S. Secret Service