It was announced on Thursday that two Eagle River residents were sentenced in Anchorage Federal Court “for conspiring to manufacture and pass counterfeit money.” the announcement came from U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler.

According to the announcement, 29-year-old Matthew Daly was sentenced to one year in prison on Wednesday by United States District Court Judge Timothy Burgess. 30-year-old Christa Speiser received probation.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Aunnie Steward, Daley and Speiser were manufacturing fake $100 bills in Daley’s trailer in Eagle River. The two would later pass off the bogus bills at Walmart, Carrs, Tesoro and other businesses in the Eagle River area. The two would use the fake bills to buy a small item and receive genuine cash as change.

Their fake money crime spree came to an end when an alert Tesoro employee recognized the counterfeit bill and contacted the Anchorage Police Department. Daley and Speiser left the Tesoro but were stopped a short time later in a routine traffics stop. The stopping officer had heard the report of the Tesoro incident and recognized the two as the suspects described in the report.

A search of the vehicle would turn up several more counterfeit bills in the vehicle as well as in Speiser’s wallet.The officer arrested the two and found that Daley also had a warrant issued for his arrest in a separate incident. Daley attempted escape from the patrol car during his arrest as well.

Police and the U.S. Secret carried out further investigation and found that Daley had set up a manufacturing system in his trailer to make the bills he used in the crime.

  Alaska, Anchorage, counterfeiting, daley, eagle river, police department, secret service, sentencing, speiser