Man sentenced for spreading counterfeit $100 bills around St. Louis area

ST. LOUIS – A man convicted of spreading counterfeit $100 bills around the St. Louis area was sentenced to federal prison on Tuesday.

Barry Young, 45, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced to 20 months behind bars.

Investigators say that Young passed along $3,300 in counterfeit bills across several stores in the St. Louis region last year.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Young used up to four fake $100 bills at a time for various purchases in February and March 2023. Investigators say that Young targeted stores in Arnold, Brentwood, Crestwood, Fenton and Perryville.

Young pleaded guilty in April to one felony count of passing counterfeit obligations.

If you suspect you may have ended up with counterfeit cash, there are a few ways to tell, according to a March report from Nexstar affiliate The Hill . First, many retailers and restaurants used counterfeit detection pens. You can also use a light to examine the bill and check for watermarks, serial numbers and other features.

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