An Opelousas man was sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for counterfeiting.
Gabriel Bates, 33, was sentenced to 26 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in April, admitting that he tried to use a fake $20 bill to buy donuts in August 2022.
When Opelousas Police developed his name as a suspect, the U.S. Secret Service already had a counterfeit investigation underway, and he was a suspect in their investigation, too.
Officers searched his house and found fake $20 and $100 bills, and when they arrested him he had handwritten instructions for making fake money in his pocket.
Bates allegedly gave a statement saying he made the money and had used them in several locations in Opelousas.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and Opelousas Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon.
