A federal U.S. District Court has sentenced (Jan. 13, 2025) three men convicted of crimes related to a counterfeit currency operation located in the central part of the state. The Pierre, Winner, Chamberlain and Mitchell police departments and the Lyman, Brule and Jerauld county sheriff’s offices assisted with the investigation that began in November of 2023. 36 year old Sonny Chao of Oacoma was sentenced to 7.5 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Chao pleaded guilty in October (Oct. 16, 2024) to Possession of Electronic Image for Counterfeiting Obligations or Securities and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. Anthony Martinez, age 24, of Chamberlain, was sentenced to one month in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Anthony Martinez pleaded guilty in October (Oct. 17, 2024) to two counts of Passing Counterfeit U.S. Currency. 21 year old Gino Martinez from Chamberlain must spend two years on probation and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Gino Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of Passing Counterfeit U.S. Currency in October (Oct. 15, 2024). Additionally, all three defendants were ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution. The convictions stemmed from Chao using electronic images on his computer to create counterfeit $100 Federal Reserve Notes that were passed at various businesses throughout central South Dakota between November 28, 2023, and March 17, 2024. Chao would soak $1 bills in a solution that removed the ink and then printed the image of a $100 bill on the blank paper. Anthony Martinez and Gino Martinez assisted Chao by using the counterfeit currency at various businesses. During the execution of a search warrant at Chao’s residence, law enforcement located two firearms in Chao’s bed. Chao was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, South Dakota Highway Patrol, South Dakota Fusion Center and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, as well as the police departments and sheriff’s offices mentioned earlier. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case. Chao and Anthony Martinez were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.