There’s no question: you’re not suppose to pass off counterfeit money, particularly if you’re a U.S. Secret Service agent. But this case is far more complicated than that.
By David Ingram
The BLT Blog of Legal Times
A federal appeals court ruled today that the Secret Service, which investigates counterfeit currency when it’s not protecting presidents and their families, was within its discretion when it dismissed a special agent who had used phony $20 bills.
The problems for Sarah Oryszak began in late March 2006, after completing a three-month Secret Service training program in which she was at the top of her class.
Oryszak returned to her home in Gaithersburg, Md., where she cashed a check at a bank and received a $100 bill, according to court papers that describe the facts in the case, which are not in dispute. Oryszak then drove to Buffalo, N.Y., to visit her mother, and she used the $100 bill to pay for lunch on April 3. She got four $20 bills in change.
Over the next day and a half, Oryszak and her sister used the $20 bills to buy over-the-counter pain medication, fruit, gasoline, and other items at a Wal-Mart, a grocery store, and a gas station.
