Two American women held in Thailand after allegedly caught with fake US dollars

 

Danniel Paquette (L), Misty Eichholz (R)

 

Two American women have been arrested and are being held in Thailand after allegedly trying to exchange fake US dollars.

 

Misty Eichholz and Danniel Paquette, both from California, arrived in Thailand on 16th February for a one month holiday.

 

They were arrested one week into their trip,  Penne Usher from Mountain Democrat reported.

 

A GoFundMe page has been set up by friends and family of the two women.

 

Few details regarding the arrest of the women have been reported.

 

However, according to the GoFundMe page, the women found some US currency in the street in Chiang Mai and attempted to exchange it, which is when they were arrested.

 

“They came across U.S. currency in the street and believed it to be pure luck,” the post states.

 

“Luck turned to terror, however, when attempting to exchange the currency, they were counterfeit.”

 

The GoFundMe page hopes to raise $50,000 for an attorney.

 

“To anyone who has met these two beautiful girls (you) know what kind of people they are. Each of them embody light,” reads the the Gofund me page.

 

“They are the most sweet, kindhearted and soulful individuals that I have ever met.”

 

The two women are now believed to have been released from a women’s jail in Chiang Mai after posting bail.

 

However, after having their passports confiscated by police they are staying in a local hostel until their case goes to trial next month.

 

According to the post the pair face up to 12 years in jail if found guilty.

 

Source: Penne Usher, Mountain Democrat

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-02-27

If they're both such goody two shoes why didn't they hand it in?

Just askin'

Where would we be without gofundme? 

 

I competely believe the women - every day when I'm out for a walk I find money strewn around the streets. It's amazing! 

Edited February 27, 20188 yr by djayz

"Play Misty for me"

Play it again, Sam.

$50,000 for an attorney? Seriously? That is about 1.6 Million baht.

A decent lawyer should cost no more than 2-300,000 for the pair of them.

What is the rest for? A fat luxurious holiday while they wait for the court case?

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

To anyone who has met these two beautiful girls (you) know what kind of people they are. Each of them embody light,” reads the the Gofund me page.

Their attempt to cash in money found on the street, suggests they aren't very honest.

Anyone there know how much money they found 

Odd huh. 

  American women find fake American money on the street in Thailand. Just happened to be American cash not Thai, Russian, Chinese etc.

 I  quess american's find American money on the street other countries probably only find their countries fake money on the street also.

 Appears some people have no pride will ask for money for anything. And apparently way more than they even need. Make cash from a crime seems to be the standard now

Edited February 27, 20188 yr by lovelomsak

From the GoFundMe page - quote:  They are both good kind people who made an honest mistake unquote.

 

The way I was brought up, it would be classed as a dishonest mistake.

For those with more real dollars than sense, ......https://www.youcaring.com/mistyeichholzanddannielpaquette-1111013

 

No mention seems to have been made of the denominations of the bills or the total amount they found.

Banged up in Thailand may have two new beautiful California persons as stars..

A callous troll post has been removed. 

Nothing is more unlikely than this feeble tale.

56 minutes ago, overherebc said:

If they're both such goody two shoes why didn't they hand it in?

Just askin'

That's the 2nd part of the cock n bull story.

 

 

After finding it, they were changing it to Thai baht, to make it easier for the police.

They found a bundle of fake US dollars in the street... a likely story. 

 

Someone in the UK recently tried to buy my old iPhone with 250 quid worth of fake 20s and one real 10.  I would have been devastated to have been scammed like that. 

 

Think about the Thai people that would have been left out of pocket had these been put into circulation.

 

Frankly, I have no sympathy for people trying to use fake money and prison is a suitable option for them. 

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

They came across U.S. currency in the street

 

Must've fallen out of a taxi, that.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

A GoFundMe page has been set up by friends and family of the two women.

Are they kidding,  they are raising money for something that these girls allegedly did that was highly illegal    !!!    absolutely absurd    !!  

no money for wrong doers  !!  imo

Guilty!

Enough said.

12 minutes ago, DLang said:

That's the 2nd part of the cock n bull story.

 

 

After finding it, they were changing it to Thai baht, to make it easier for the police.

Yep.

Because they are so 'smart' they believe that eveyone outside their own border will be easy to 'outsmart' Goes for many western nations.

Big problem when they find out they are the ones being 'outsmarted'

My idea. They got conned buying the money from someone, at a very good rate, who was leaving the next day and thought they could make a bit extra for the holiday. 

I might be way off but!!

Is there any mention (I can't find any) of exactly how much money they allegedly found?

I dont think the BIB would arrest them if they found a fake note and tried to exchange it, but having 5 or 10 thats a different story. More like they already had them and probably good fakes and thought the Thai's wouldn't notice.

But hey Im not Columbo so what do I know.

 

Edited February 27, 20188 yr by 2008bangkok

I just deposited fake $1000 USD on fakegofundme.com. I wish them the best of luck.

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

well if they had a few that they brought with them then they likely have a lot more so a search of their residence should reveal that, also if they claim to have found the money there could be cctv to prove that. Also were they travelling alone, do they have a previous form in the US

 

On the face of it I personally don't believe their story 

12 minutes ago, 2008bangkok said:

I dont think the BIB would arrest them if they found a fake note and tried to exchange it, but having 5 or 10 thats a different story. More like they already had them and probably good fakes and thought the Thai's wouldn't notice more like.

But hey Im not Columbo so what do I know.

 

It was $1000. Probably fake $100s.

I  question why they both got arrested. Did both try to sell fake money. Why would they both need to sell the money? Sounds more likely to me they both had their own stash of fake money to sell.brought with them.

Up tomorrow, two women arrested for selling fake $'s in Nigerian Love scam.

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

$50,000 for an attorney? Seriously? That is about 1.6 Million baht.

A decent lawyer should cost no more than 2-300,000 for the pair of them.

What is the rest for? A fat luxurious holiday while they wait for the court case?

You are clueless! A good lawyer charges much, much more. A friend was in a serious legal situation a few years ago and his legal fees were well over one million Baht. There were about 3-4 lawyers working on the case and many appearances required. A potential 12 year prison term is not the same as a real estate deal!

 

  That makes sense. Germans, some Irish, Greeks etc,,will find Euros in Thailand? Would Thais abroad find fake Thai baht somewhere on the road?>

 

          Some things just don't add up. Found money and no clue that it could be fake? Why didn't they ask at a bank if the money was fake? maybe because...aeeh, no speculations.

 

    Why do they have two fund raising begs? 

 

         Interesting is their GoFundMe goal: https://www.gofundme.com/release-misty-and-dannielle-fund  $9,363 of $50,000 goal

 

          https://www.youcaring.com/mistyeichholzanddannielpaquette-1111013    $ 235 of wanted $100,000.  No comment why they're using two web pages, not known by everybody. At least. they're not asking for peanuts. 

 

   

  

 

 

 

   

 

         

 

   

Edited February 27, 20188 yr by jenny2017

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

Their attempt to cash in money found on the street, suggests they aren't very honest.

 

Good point, but they believed they were special, fate put the money on the ground just for them.

 

God gave them special good luck, just for them. 

 

Hope they get shamed at home, and get punished.

 

 

Ho

3 minutes ago, elektrified said:

You are clueless! A good lawyer charges much, much more. A friend was in a serious legal situation a few years ago and his legal fees were well over one million Baht. There were about 3-4 lawyers working on the case and many appearances required. A potential 12 year prison term is not the same as a real estate deal!

 30-4k USD..must of been some serious doodah for anybody to pay that and even them it will be padded to the hilt. 

6 minutes ago, 2008bangkok said:

Ho

 30-4k USD..must of been some serious doodah for anybody to pay that and even them it will be padded to the hilt. 

 

I wonder if many people snap to the correlation between getting a cheap lawyer, and the results we often read about in horrific detail.  Our corporate Thai guy charges $500 an hour and has saved us many multiples of that.  And he steers us to a cheaper firm when we don't need that kind of service.