Priest Charged in Counterfeiting Case
- Share via
From Times Wire Reports
An Augustinian priest was charged with trying to smuggle into the country $2.4 billion in amateurish counterfeit Treasury notes. The Rev. Mario Beato-Prieto, 35, a Spanish citizen who was running a parochial school in the Philippines, was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport outside New York City after U.S. Customs agents discovered what they called fake currency in his luggage. Prosecutors said the priest tried to sell 24 phony $100-million notes through a broker.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
