Man Indicted on Counterfeiting Charges in Baltimore
Clifton Monroe, Jr., 49, faces federal counts tied to counterfeit bills passed at a Catonsville pizza shop and a Glen Burnie store.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Financial Crime
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A federal grand jury indicted Clifton Monroe, Jr., 49, on counterfeiting charges, including four counts of passing or possessing counterfeit obligations and one count of counterfeiting and forging U.S. obligations. Investigators say he produced counterfeit currency and tried to use it to pay merchants.
Why it matters
The case shows counterfeit bills being passed at everyday retail locations, where employees are often the first to catch fakes. Federal prosecution signals that producing and spending counterfeit currency carries serious penalties.
Monroe faces four counts of passing or possessing counterfeit obligations, one possession count, and one counterfeiting count, with each passing count carrying up to 20 years in federal prison. He was previously charged by criminal complaint and made his initial appearance on October 29, 2026, before the federal indictment was announced November 4, 2026.
The players
Clifton Monroe, Jr.
Clifton Monroe, Jr., a 49-year-old Baltimore man, is the defendant charged with counterfeiting and passing fake U.S. currency.
The details
Monroe allegedly passed counterfeit money at a Catonsville pizza shop in April 2025, receiving $45 in real change. In January 2026, he tried to pay with fake bills at a Glen Burnie store, where an employee recognized the counterfeit and store police apprehended him. Investigators later searched his home in April 2026 and found evidence of counterfeit currency production.
Timeline
April 2025: Monroe allegedly passed counterfeit money at a Catonsville pizza shop.
January 2026: Monroe attempted a counterfeit payment at a Glen Burnie store and was apprehended.
April 2026: Investigators searched Monroe's home and found evidence of counterfeit production.
October 29, 2026: Monroe made his initial appearance after a criminal complaint.
November 4, 2026: A federal grand jury indictment against Monroe was announced.
Legal Context
Federal counterfeiting statutes make it a crime both to produce fake U.S. obligations and to pass them, with penalties of up to 20 years per passing count. The charges against Monroe apply those statutes to a case involving repeated attempts to spend fake bills at local businesses.
Shop owners and cashiers in the Baltimore area are reminded that counterfeit bills can be caught by checking them against genuine currency before making change. Customers who receive suspicious bills should report them to local police or the U.S. Secret Service.
The takeaway
Checking large bills for security features such as watermarks and security threads helps merchants avoid accepting counterfeit currency. Anyone who suspects a fake bill should avoid passing it on and contact local law enforcement.
Further reading
For more on similar cases, browse Financial Crime coverage.
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