Crime American Arrested in Pattaya for Attempting to Exchange Fake US Dollars

[billd766]

3 hours ago, JakeC said:

 

Your maths needs some work.

Probably, but in my defence I had a bad night last night.

 

He was in possession of 2a fake $100 bank notes which at the current rate is 32.26516 or around 6,775.6836 thb at the face value for those who are pernickity.

[Baba Naba]

Just in case your curious.... Dumbass didnt think he would run into a Egnlish reading Thai at the currency exchange booth...

 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ClgIkMGUsAElYeM.jpg

 

[willr]

Ha could have used monopoly money and insisting they are real 🤣 

[Jiggo]

Another major criminal caught.

Lock him up and deport, we don't need his type here.

[thailand49]

Give him some credit!

 

Maybe that was his intent to get caught he only had so many bills to do such a thing with marked bills then make a scene.

Looks at it like this he was married to a Thai, milking him like a ATM, going broke, no way to even get home too scare to tell her he wants out.

Thought process he figure why not the way they hand out sentences here he will admit guilt have him behind slapped.

No money thereafter US taxpayer foot the flight home the way Immigration is being prosecuted and contested the resources he isn't really a counterfeiters who passed cartoon notes from the movies. Gangs killers are getting a free ride what is he going to get🤣🤔

[ujayujay]

Something like this!?

[Nickcage49]

He took a chance like that for 2100 bucks? Stupid.

 

Enjoy federal pen in the states.

[JakeC]

Quote

Probably, but in my defence I had a bad night last night.

 

He was in possession of 2a fake $100 bank notes which at the current rate is 32.26516 or around 6,775.6836 thb at the face value for those who are pernickity.

 

Bad day too?

 

21 US$100 notes equals US$2100. 68,701 baht and 50 satang.

 

 

[Tug]

Idiot 

[arick]

Send him to India  to jail 

[Ironmike]

Well excellent news for him,, by the time he gets out of prison here he will have lost his fat gut and probably speak fluent Thai,,,what a complete moron.... Rot in prison stupid. 

[Rimmer]

An off topic personal attack and replies has been removed

[Magictoad]

6 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

The “for motion picture use only” thing suggests he might have known.

Ya think?

[Kinok Farang]

6 hours ago, xylophone said:

Was he wearing a red hat at the time? LOL!!!

Congrats,you managed to squeeze it in.

[wensiensheng]

6 minutes ago, Magictoad said:

Ya think?

Yeah, I do think. I was being sarcastic….same as you. But you didn’t get it.

[oslooskar]

They should have allowed him to exchange his fake money for Monopoly money. 

[Paradise Pete]

He should have had someone taking video. Then he could just point to the camera and say "For motion picture!"

[Evil Penevil]

6 hours ago, new2here said:

 

Actually, If it’s the money that I’m thinking about, then it would meet the Federal Statues in terms of producing faux notes.. be that size, color, single-v-double sided printing etc.  You can make “fake” notes,  but there’s several restrictions that you have to meet in order for it to be legally produced.

 

Referencing to the apparent attempted use goes..  I’m not sure if the federal law related to attempted use is or can be applied extra-territorially like some other federal laws.  That one might be purely the domain of Thai law.

 

Producing movie prop money is not illegal in the U.S.  Attempting to use it as legal tender is definitely and always illegal,  but MAY not necessarily violate laws on counterfeiting.  It could (maybe, perhaps) be regarded as theft by deception, larceny, fraud or similar.  The reason why  the use of prop money  MAY not break counterfeiting laws is that prop money is so obviously fake it can't be considered a real attempt to create or use counterfeit legal tender.  No one with an IQ in the positive numbers would be fooled by prop money.

 

Please note I wrote MAY in all caps to emphasize that under some circumstances, use of prop movie COULD violate counterfeiting laws.  If the unfortunate Mr. Stookey believed Thai money exchange cashiers were so stupid he could fool them with prop money, he could be charged with use of counterfeit money.  If, however, due to dementia or another intellectual impairment he believed it was real money, he would probably escape a counterfeiting charge.  It all hangs on his intent.

 

There are companies which produce and sell movie prop money openly, including  sales on Amazon and Alibaba.  However, the prop money has to meet strict criteria to avoid the possibility of a counterfeiting charge.  Prop money must be marked with "For Motion Picture Purposes" in prominent text and has to be printed on "ordinary "  paper that feels nothing like real currency.  It can't have a watermark or an attempt at a hologram. All the serial numbers have to be be the same.  The color of the money and the images must be "off" to some degree.

 

[thaipo7]

19 hours ago, blaze master said:

What an idiot. Did he have a prop gun too. 

Bet he voted for Biden if he voted.   Low IQ.

[JakeC]

Quote

Low IQ.

 

is what came to mind when I read your post. An imbecilic comment really.

[Rael007]

I've seen the fake $100 bills that CLEARLY state "Prop Copy ... for motion picture use only".  Often handed out as a gag, or used during play "casino" parties.  I've even seen a guy throw out a stack of them at a go-go, thinking he was being funny.  At a quick glance, they look real, until you zero in on the aforementioned stamp, which you can't miss.  But furthermore, they don't even feel real.  It feels obviously fake.  So I'm not sure what this guy thought he was going to accomplish.  Even if I wanted to play a joke on someone, I certainly would never try to take it to a money exchange or a bank or attempt to actually use it for a transaction.

[kevin612]

He is so dumb, time to head back to the US

[aussiebrian]

Ok, don't jump to conclusions too fast. If he was passing them and he knew they were fake, then he was stupid, but what is his explanation? 

 

I had just arrived in Cambodia and on the way back to my hotel from the airport, I got the taxi driver to stop at an ATM. I withdrew $300.  $100 US x3. 

I stopped at a pharmacy and bought something so that I could pay the taxi driver. 

I then went to my hotel and had a rest for a couple of hours. I went to eat and paid for my meal with $100US note. 

The waiter returned and pointed it out to me it was a copy note. I looked and couldn't believe what I was seeing, thinking that he must have switched the note on me. I pulled out my 3rd $100 note from my wallet, and to my suprise it too was a copy note. 

I didn't now where the ATM was that we stopped at. I did know the name of the bank by the slip. 

I contacted my bank and explained what had happened, the bank I withdrew from denied that I had got them from their ATM, I couldn't prove that I received them. I used Citibank Australia debit card to withdraw them. 

Noone would accept liability. I was stuck with them. I did some searching and found that I was not the only one this had happened to. 

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293939-i9162-k12586904-o20-Canadia_bank_ATM_fake_notes_100_Bills-Cambodia.html

 

https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowTopic-g293940-i9551-k15287209-Fake_100_bills_Phnom_Penh_Anyone_else_face_this-Phnom_Penh.html

 

 

 

https://cambodiaexpatsonline.com/viewtopic.php/topic30191-40.html?forum_uri=&start=40&t=30191

 

Many more links are there if you look.

 

 

There is only one other explanation that while I was sleeping at my hotel, someone broke into my room and swapped my good notes for the copy ones. I think this was almost impossible..If that didn't happen, then I definately got them from a bank ATM.  They felt perfect to me and one side is exactly as a real note is, the other side has copy written on it, not obvious unless you are looking for it.

I always worried that I did pass one to the pharmacy and I could have been charged. 

When I told my story, noone wanted to believe me. They said you can't get a copy note through an ATM. I know what happened, so do many other people that this has happened to. 

As this guy argued with the money changer, I wondered, did they point it out to him it said it was for "motion picture use only"

I later discovered with much searching that in Cambodia the copy $100 notes are used in a religious ceremony.

 

In Cambodia, a counterfeit $100 US note used in a religious ceremony would not have any real financial value. While it may be used in rituals or ceremonies where money is symbolically offered, it's not intended for actual monetary transactions. It's important to note that using counterfeit money for any purpose, including religious ceremonies, can have legal consequences, even if the intention is not fraudulent. 

Here's a more detailed explanation: 

• No Financial Value:

  Counterfeit currency has no intrinsic financial value. It cannot be used to purchase goods or services, nor can it be exchanged for real currency.
• Symbolic Use in Ceremonies:

  In some religious ceremonies, money may be used symbolically, such as in offerings or rituals. These ceremonies may use mock money or counterfeit bills for this purpose, according to the Bangkok Post.
• Distinction from Mock Money:

  It's crucial to distinguish between genuine mock money designed for ceremonial use and counterfeit currency intended for illegal purposes. While some religious ceremonies may use mock money, counterfeit bills are typically not meant for that purpose and are often used in deceptive transactions.

 

 

This happened to me back in about 2010, and looks like it is still happening now. So beware. If you do a search of images of Cambodia copy $100 note you will see it isn't obvious unless you look closely. How many people check notes they withdraw from an ATM that it isn't fake.. Noone I would think, unless you knew of this happening or it had happened to you before..

Some people say they feel different, I really wouldn't have picked it, as I had never felt a new $100 US note. They felt pretty good to me.

[grumpyoldman]

He's fine, no worries. Brought along his "get out of jail free" card from the Monopoly set.

[RetiredNavy71]

On 6/3/2025 at 3:19 PM, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of MGR online

 

An American man has been arrested in Pattaya for attempting to exchange counterfeit US dollars for Thai baht. The suspect, Mr.  Stookey, 66, was found with 21 fake $100 bills marked “For Motion Picture Use Only.”

 

On 3rd June, Police Colonel Anake Srathongyu, along with Pattaya investigation officers, apprehended Mr. Stookey at the "TT Currency Exchange" booth on Jomtien Beach Road, Chonburi. He was caught with ten fake $100 bills at the scene and 11 more found in a document folder.

 

Picture courtesy of MGR online

 

The investigation revealed that Mr. Stookey presented the fake notes to the exchange booth staff, who detected the counterfeit currency and refused the transaction. Despite being denied, Mr. Stookey insisted on the exchange, displaying dissatisfaction, prompting staff to alert the police.

 

Mr. Stookey faces charges for possession and intent to use counterfeit US currency, with full knowledge of its falsity. His records show frequent travel to Thailand over the past decade.

 

He is married to a Thai national and resides in Pattaya’s Pratumnak Hill area. He is currently detained pending legal proceedings.

 

Picture courtesy of MGR online

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from MGR online 2025-06-04

 

 

Stupid redneck idiot.  Must belong to Trump’s crew

[RetiredNavy71]

On 6/3/2025 at 3:19 PM, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of MGR online

 

An American man has been arrested in Pattaya for attempting to exchange counterfeit US dollars for Thai baht. The suspect, Mr.  Stookey, 66, was found with 21 fake $100 bills marked “For Motion Picture Use Only.”

 

On 3rd June, Police Colonel Anake Srathongyu, along with Pattaya investigation officers, apprehended Mr. Stookey at the "TT Currency Exchange" booth on Jomtien Beach Road, Chonburi. He was caught with ten fake $100 bills at the scene and 11 more found in a document folder.

 

Picture courtesy of MGR online

 

The investigation revealed that Mr. Stookey presented the fake notes to the exchange booth staff, who detected the counterfeit currency and refused the transaction. Despite being denied, Mr. Stookey insisted on the exchange, displaying dissatisfaction, prompting staff to alert the police.

 

Mr. Stookey faces charges for possession and intent to use counterfeit US currency, with full knowledge of its falsity. His records show frequent travel to Thailand over the past decade.

 

He is married to a Thai national and resides in Pattaya’s Pratumnak Hill area. He is currently detained pending legal proceedings.

 

Picture courtesy of MGR online

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from MGR online 2025-06-04

 

 

Stupid redneck idiot.  Must belong to Trump’s crew

[Kinok Farang]

12 hours ago, Jiggo said:

Another major criminal caught.

Lock him up and deport, we don't need his type here.

I thought it was hilarious.We need more crackpots here rather than serious,boring people like deleted..

[Kinok Farang]

1 hour ago, RetiredNavy71 said:

Stupid redneck idiot.  Must belong to Trump’s crew

He looks a bit like you.

[RetiredNavy71]

36 minutes ago, Kinok Farang said:

He looks a bit like you.

Okay smart ass

[Gottfrid]

15 hours ago, Shocked farang said:

I suspect they were meant to be used in the shooting of Hollywood movies, you know those scenes were the criminals brake into a safe or something similar. 

Why did you feel the need to explain that?