COVINGTON, KY – According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Kentucky, a Melbourne, Ky., man, Timothy Noble, 35, was sentenced on Wednesday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to a total of 40 months incarceration, for passing counterfeit money with the intent to defraud.
According to court documents, on April 17, 2022, an individual claiming to be “James Michaels” responded to a post on Facebook Marketplace, which was offering a 2004 Chevrolet Avalanche for sale. The owner of the vehicle and “James Michaels” agreed on a sale price of $4,700, pending a test drive. After the test drive, “James Michaels” paid for the vehicle with 47 $100 dollar bills. The victim later discovered that 41 of the notes were not real, but rather movie prop notes. “James Michaels” was later identified by law enforcement as Noble.
An investigation into Noble continued and showed that, on at least three additional occasions in May 2022, Noble attempted to buy items on Facebook Marketplace using counterfeit money. When law enforcement apprehended Noble, they found over 400 counterfeit notes, an open Amazon package with a receipt for fake $20 bills inside, as well as several items still in boxes that were believed to be purchased with counterfeit money.
Under federal law, Noble must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Robert Holman, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service; and Chief Tom Grau, Florence Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Secret Service and Florence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Spievack is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
— END —
