Man sentenced for selling counterfeits of century-old coins

BANGOR, Maine – Prosecutors say a Maine man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for selling counterfeit versions of century-old U.S. dollar coins.

U.S. Attorney Thomas Delahanty says 32-year-old Mwashuma Sithole, of Waterville, started ordering counterfeit Morgan dollar coins in May 2014. Morgan dollars were minted from 1878 to 1904 and again in 1921.

Delahanty says Sithole ordered coins that were offered as counterfeits and made in China. The prosecutor says Sithole sold and pawned about $12,000 worth of counterfeit Morgan dollars in Maine.

Authorities seized about 1,200 counterfeit Morgan coins belonging to Sithole after executing a search warrant.

Sithole pleaded guilty to the charges. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.