Georgia men charged in fake bill scheme

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ATLANTA, Jan. 28 (UPI) -- Six men from the Atlanta area have been indicted on charges they ran a counterfeiting ring out of a home, Secret Service officials say.

The men are accused of distributing $1.1 million in fake $50 bills throughout the southeastern United States, WSB-TV, Atlanta, reported Monday.

The man alleged to be the printer -- Heath Kellogg, 36, of Woodstock -- used only a computer, printer and regular copy paper to make the bills, said Secret Service Agent Chuck Brand.

The same serial number appeared on some of the bills while others did not have watermarks or the proper backing, Brand said.

Kellogg and the others allegedly began their operation in February 2011, the Secret Service said. The bills were then sold to clients at a discount.

At the time the men were arrested, $2,000 in fake currency could be purchased for $900, the agency said.

In the summer of 2012, police arrested a man trying to pass $500 in counterfeit bills allegedly made by Kellogg. The suspect became a confidential informant.

Agents arrested Kellogg after tracing toner purchases and arresting a group of men who attempted to buy items at a home improvement store using fake bills.

Kellogg and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty.