Man admits passing funny money in Iraq

SACRAMENTO, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- A California man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for passing three counterfeit $100 bills at U.S. Army post exchanges in Iraq.

Joseph Deanda, 46, of Lodi pleaded guilty in April, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. He admitted his wife sent him the counterfeit money while he was deployed with the California National Guard in 2007 and 2008.

"While the amount of money passed by the defendant was small, its impact on troop readiness and combat operations should not be discounted," assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Reardon wrote in a sentencing memo.

Deanda, his wife, Tami, and three others were indicted in February. Tami Deanda and Clinton Irons still face charges, while two other women have pleaded guilty.

Investigators say the counterfeit money was made by washing real $5 bills with a degreaser and photocopying the image of a $100 bill on them. The money looked authentic except for some security features, including a watermark of Abraham Lincoln.