Trio Sentenced For Conspiring To Pass Counterfeit Currency

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Three individuals were sentenced Tuesday in federal court for manufacturing counterfeit currency.

Scott Jon Buelow, 48, was sentenced to two years of probation including 90 days of home confinement, while Daniel Ernest Richter, 38, and Tressa Dee Weeden-Bootz, 26, were sentenced to two years of probation.

The three have no known address and each was sentenced on one count of conspiracy to pass counterfeit obligations.

The trio were indicted on May 11, 2011, all three have pleaded guilty and were ordered to pay $2,900 in joint restitution.

In his plea agreement, Richter admitted that from March 1, 2008, to April 2, 2009, he conspired with Buelow and Weeden-Bootz to pass counterfeit $100 bills in an effort to obtain money and merchandise from retail businesses. In addition, both Buelow and Richter admitted manufacturing bills at a St. Paul residence in March and October of 2008.

In her plea agreement, Weeden-Bootz admitted passing the phony bills at several hotels. On June 5, 2008, Richter and Weeden-Bootz were arrested in a Bloomington hotel room. At that time, they were found in possession of materials commonly used to manufacture counterfeit currency, including paper, a printing template, desktop computers, and instructions for the manufacturing process.

In his plea agreement, Buelow admitted passing counterfeit bills at a St. Paul thrift store, a St. Paul baby store, and a St. Paul bar in January of 2009, as well as a St. Paul pharmacy in February of 2009.