Man Prints Money At Library, Finds Buyer On Social Media: Sheriff

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL — A Pasco County man is accused of using the New Port Richey Library's free printer to create counterfeit U.S. currency, and then trying to sell the money on Facebook.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office arrested Levy Newberry, 28, of New Port Richey, Sunday, Sept. 2, after his landlord, Teresa Spitzer, reported that he was printing copies of $5, $10 and $20 bills at the library.

Deputies said Newberry showed Spitzer numerous pages of printed counterfeit money he'd created. When Spitzer threatened to call authorities, she said Newberry gathered up the pages of printed money and fled.

When deputies arrived, Newberry had returned home. They said he was sweating profusely and appeared nervous. He told them that he bought paper for printing resumes at Walmart and used it to make copies of "legal printable money" from the website Pinterest as a joke.

However, he said he later found a buyer on Facebook who was willing to pay him $250 for $500 of the counterfeit money.

When Spitzer threatened to turn him in, he said he disposed of the all of the printed pages in a sewer drain off Little Road and Rye Street.

Spitzer, however, turned over two fake $5 bills Newberry had given her to the sheriff's office.

In addition to forgery, Newberry has been charged with trafficking in stolen property and violation of probation. He remains in the Land O' Lakes Detention Center without bond.

Image via Pasco Sherifff

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