SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Senior United States District Judge Richard P. Conaboy sentenced a Hazleton man to 15 months’ imprisonment for passing counterfeit $100 bills between December 2012 and February 2013.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Edwin Batista, age 36, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, received the sentence following his guilty plea to a one-count information charging him with passing counterfeit $100 bills at various businesses in Luzerne County. In addition to the term of imprisonment,
Judge Conaboy ordered Batista to pay $6,510 in restitution, and to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Scranton office of the United States Secret Service, and the Hazleton Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney John Gurganus prosecuted the case.
--DOJ Middle District of Pennsylvania