Man Pleads Not Guilty to Forgery Charges in U.S. District Court

A California man accused of making and passing counterfeit bills in Laramie pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court today.

Bill Blanchard, 53, was arrested in Laramie on June 19, after the Laramie Police Department and the United States Secret Service investigated reports of counterfeit bills being used in a number of different Laramie businesses.

Laramie police located Blanchard after noticing a vehicle matching the description of Blanchard’s vehicle in the parking lot of a Laramie motel on June 19. Blanchard initially denied any involvement, but eventually admitted to passing counterfeit bills at one of the businesses who reported the fakes.

Officers obtained a search warrant for Blanchard’s motel room and seized multiple items, including a copier/scanner/printer, three real $20 bills on the glass of the scanner, paper cutters and resume paper, 30 counterfeit $20 bills and 28 counterfeit $50 dollar bills.

Blanchard’s trial is set for Sept. 25 at 9 a.m. in Casper, before U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl.