A Missouri man walked away with luxury cars, Air Jordans, and more after duping online sellers with fake movie prop money. Photo courtesy the Eastern District of Missouri.

Missouri Man Uses Fake Movie Money to Scam $229,000 in Cars, Sneakers, and Electronics

A Missouri man walked away with luxury cars, Air Jordans, and more after duping online sellers with fake movie prop money. 🌐 #News #StLouisMO #Missouri #Crime

ST. LOUIS, MO – A Missouri man managed to trick online sellers into accepting fake cash for over $229,000 worth of cars, electronics, and even a pair of expensive sneakers. Aaron Montgomery, 41, employed a clever scam, using movie prop money to pull off the fraudulent transactions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced Montgomery’s guilty plea on Tuesday. He convinced sellers to accept the fake bills, then drove off with the goods—leaving them stunned once the deception was discovered.

How the Scam Worked

The scheme began in August 2022, when Montgomery reached out to sellers listing cars and other items for sale online.

He negotiated prices and arranged to meet the sellers, often in locations such as banks where the counterfeit money would seem more convincing.

Once at the meeting spot, Montgomery paid using bundles of “motion picture money”—prop bills that resembled real currency. He managed to steal a variety of items, including vehicles, five pairs of Air Jordans, and audio equipment.

Montgomery took full advantage of the sellers’ trust, using his smooth-talking approach to avoid raising suspicion. With his hands full of fake bills, he walked away with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.

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Interstate Trafficking of Stolen Property

Montgomery’s scam wasn’t limited to Missouri. He transported stolen vehicles across state lines, carrying away cars, trucks, and SUVs from states like Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. His ability to move stolen goods between different states led to multiple federal charges, including wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen vehicles.

Each stolen vehicle was driven back to Missouri, where Montgomery likely planned to sell or keep the stolen property. The stolen cars alone made up a significant portion of the total value, with some sellers unaware of the scam until long after Montgomery had already driven off.

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Legal Consequences and Future Sentencing

After pleading guilty to three counts of wire fraud and four counts of interstate transportation of stolen vehicles, Montgomery faces serious legal consequences.

Both the prosecution and defense have agreed to recommend a sentence of 51 months in prison, along with full restitution to all victims of his crimes. Montgomery’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 22, 2025.

RELATED TOPICS: Crime | Illinois | Michigan | Missouri | Ohio | Scams | Tennessee

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