Andrea Joy Campbell: “today I introduce the Counterfeiting Sentencing Enhancement Act of 1998. My bill would tighten the sentencing…”

“today I introduce the Counterfeiting Sentencing Enhancement Act of 1998. My bill would tighten the sentencing guidelines' base offense level in recognition of the fact that advances in computer and printing technology have fundamentally changed the nature of counterfeiting. This bill would bring our nation's counterfeiting laws out of Gutenberg's printing press era and into the modern computer age. Counterfeiting of our nation's currency is a serious and growing problem. Incidents of computer generated counterfeiting have increased dramatically over the last three years. In 1995 only one half of one percent of counterfeit U.S. currency passed were computer generated. Today, just three short years later, computer generated counterfeits account for approximately 43 percent of the counterfeits passed. Traditional counterfeiters use offset printing production methods that require specialized equipment including printing presses, engraved printing press plates and green ink. These counterfeiters encounter a cumbersome process that is messy, is harder to conceal, and requires them to produce in large batches. However, a rapidly growing number of today's counterfeiters are using personal computers, scanners, digital imaging software, full color copiers, and laser and inkjet printers. They can also use the Internet to instantaneously transmit the computer images needed for counterfeiting.”