Crime & Safety

Man Charged With Creating, Peddling Counterfeit Bills in Eagan, Southern Minnesota

Vincent Dwayne Tampio faces up to 190 years in prison and/or $352,000 in fines for seven felony charges.

A Faribault man is in Rice County Jail after law enforcement arrested him for allegedly creating and peddling thousands of fake $100 bills throughout Eagan and southern Minnesota.

Vincent Dwayne Tampio, 33, was arrested on Wednesday after the U.S. Secret Service executed a search warrant following a two-month investigation.

Five others were arrested throughout southern Minnesota in connection with the counterfeit ring.

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Tampio is charged with seven felonies, including counterfeiting currency and possessing and selling methamphetamine, which law enforcement found in his home during their search, according to a criminal complaint filed with Rice County District Court. Tampio faces up to 190 years in prison and/or $352,000 in fines.

In November 2010, Tampio was convicted of a gross misdemeanor charge of possessing counterfeit money. A felony manufacturing charge was dismissed. He received a stayed sentence of 365 days in jail for that offense.

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In March 2011, he was convicted of felony counterfeiting of currency in Dakota County and served 40 days in jail and was placed on three years of supervised probation.

According to the complaint:

In April, Rice County law enforcement was notified that there was a large counterfeiting ring operating in southern Minnesota throughout Dakota, Rice, Steele, Mower and Freeborn counties. Counterfeit notes were primarily being passed through the towns of Eagan, Northfield, Dundas, Burnsville, Faribault, Albert Lea, Owatonna, Mankato, Austin, Rochester and Mason City, IA.

In a joint investigation involving the Secret Service, Rice County Drug Task Force, South Central Drug Investigation Unit and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, an undercover agent made several purchases from Tampio, who would sell the fake $100 bills for 45 to 50 cents on the dollar. The largest purchase made was made on May 16 when Tampio sold $5,100 worth of counterfeit $100 bills for $2,000.

Tampio also provided the fake currency, which was made in his home using household products to remove ink from $5 bills and replaced with new ink, to friends, who would use the money for small purchases and receive real money in return.

Investigators have video surveillance of the fake bills being used at Target in Northfield, Kmart in Dundas and Walmart in Faribault.

During a search of Tampio’s home on Tuesday, law enforcement found chemicals, toothbrushes and other materials to manufacture fake money. They also found several fake $100 bills, digital scales with methamphetamine residue on them, and a total of 4.3 grams of meth, weighed with its packaging.

In an interview following the search, Tampio told police he was solely responsible for manufacturing the money and said he was addicted to meth. He also said he taught others how to counterfeit and estimated that he manufactured about $20,000 worth of fake bills.


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