FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count
indictment today against Kenneth Dwayne Choate, 51, of Pismo Beach, charging
him with manufacturing counterfeit U.S. currency, United States Attorney
Benjamin B. Wagner announced. Choate was ordered detained by Judge Stanley A.
Boone on July 23, 2015, after being arrested on a federal criminal complaint.
According to court documents, on May 31, 2015, a vendor at
the Visalia Swap Meet reported to law enforcement that someone was passing
counterfeit money. The investigation led to Choate, who had a motel room in
Visalia. Officers obtained a search warrant for the room, and contacted Choate
and a co-conspirator at the front door of the room. A search was conducted and
officers found more than $30,000 in counterfeit bills, multiple printers, numerous
boxes of drafting paper, and printing and cutting supplies.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S.
Secret Service, with assistance from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant B. Rabenn and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney
Katherine A. Plante are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Choate faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20
years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined
at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory
factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number
of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed
innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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