Crime & Safety

Two Men Allegedly Printed and Used Counterfeit Money

Two men were arrested Tuesday after police say they printed and used counterfeit money in Newport and Middletown.


Two men were arrested Tuesday after police said they had been using counterfeit $20 bill at Newport and Middletown businesses.

Daniel Spearin, 36, of 249 Connell Hwy Apt #237 and Jerry Moening, 25, of 84 Abby Lane, North Kingstown, allegedly had been printing the bills while living at the Motel 6 in Newport. Newport and Middletown detectives worked together on the investigation that led to the arrests.

Moening reportedly told police that he worked together with Spearin to produce fake the money. He said that he watched Spearin “scrub” one dollar bills with oven cleaner and a toothbrush to remove the ink from the paper. They taped the bills to a piece of paper and printed the bills to convert them into $20 bills, said police.   

Moening told police Spearin was almost caught by police a few days prior, and felt they were too “heated up” and needed to return the printer to Staples.  

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Video footage showed Spearin used the bills at the Walmart Dunkin Donuts in Newport and Taco Bell in Middletown. The Fudgery in Newport also told police that had received the counterfeit money. A witness told police one of the suspects had “very bad teeth.”

The Providence Field Office of the United States Secret Service were were able to match the bill’s serial number at a bank in Greenville, Rhode Island.  

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This information was provided by the Newport Police Department. An arrest does not indicate a conviction. 


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