A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison by the District Court in Horsens for producing counterfeit banknotes worth 159,500 Danish kroner (approximately $23,000 USD). According to prosecutor Anne Marie Jørgensen, who spoke to the news agency Ritzau, the sentence also stems from a number of traffic offenses for which the man has been convicted.

Following the sentencing, the man immediately chose to appeal the ruling to the Western Denmark High Court (Vestre Landsret) in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence, the prosecutor stated. During the court hearing, the man admitted guilt on most counts, but contested one detail regarding drug-related driving, specifying that he had been under the influence of amphetamine rather than cocaine.

The arrest occurred in April when the man ran a red light on Stationsvej in Slagelse. A search of his vehicle uncovered 0.53 grams of cocaine along with the counterfeit banknotes. The 42-year-old had received the fake money at his home address in Horsens, cut them into pieces with scissors, and subsequently attempted to circulate them as real currency.

In addition to the convictions for counterfeiting and traffic violations, the man was also found guilty of providing a false identity. Upon arrest, he identified himself using his brother’s name, which is a criminal offense. He explained that he did this because he had already lost his driving license.

This individual has a history of similar offenses. In December 2022, he was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison for possession of counterfeit notes amounting to 120,000 Danish kroner. Additionally, he has a criminal background as a postal robber, receiving a six-year prison sentence in 2009 for a robbery at the Allerød Post Office.

While the postal robbery was not mentioned in the current case, prior convictions and repeated offenses influenced the severity of the sentence handed down. This case adds yet another serious crime to the man’s already lengthy criminal record.