Counterfeiter gets year in jail after guilty plea in ‘crime spree’

Of the group of people involved in the scheme, Michael David Vogel was found to be more skilled at making counterfeit money than some of his cohorts.

“He had the steadiest hand and was able to line up the bills better than anyone else,” Crown prosecutor Bill Jennings told the court, referencing statements Vogel’s coaccused made to police after they were arrested.

Unfortunately for Vogel, it was a skill that helped earn him his first criminal conviction and jail term.

The 36-year-old pleaded guilty at Regina Provincial Court earlier this week to a range of charges related to what was described as a “crime spree” from last year — including making and uttering counterfeit money, theft, possession of stolen property, drug possession, a breach and several counts of mischief.

Vogel was sentenced to one year in jail on top of remand credit.

Defence lawyer Dave Armstrong said his client is a longtime meth addict who managed to shake the habit for several years prior to this range of offences. The crimes that followed were an attempt to raise money to fund that addiction, Armstrong said.

Court heard that in July, a joint investigation was launched by RCMP and the Regina Police Service, looking into the passing of counterfeit money at various locations in the province.

The investigation led to the arrest of two people who pointed the finger at Vogel as a participant in the loosely assembled ring.

It was learned the group had initially produced about $800 worth of Canadian counterfeit bills but the quality was poor. One of the group withdrew some American bills from a bank and the group started copying those instead, scanning them into a printer and cutting out the fake cash for use.

With Vogel’s steady hand laying out the bills, the group produced about $5,000 worth at a local hotel one night.

Then, with an accomplice, Vogel set out on a road trip with the intention to spend the money. The pair did so in mid-July, using the bills at locations in Belle Plaine, Moose Jaw and North Battleford and pocketing the legitimate change.

Vogel was arrested and later released. Then, following another arrest for a failed shoplifting attempt in November, Vogel was arrested again in December after breaking into a number of mailboxes in Regina with another man. When Vogel was arrested, his backpack contained pieces of stolen mail.

He was again released on conditions and, on Dec. 15, he was arrested for the final time after being in possession of a stolen truck and other items. Jennings said that when interviewed by police, Vogel said he hadn’t worked since the summer and couldn’t bring himself to take a minimum-wage job “because he is worth more than that.”

Armstrong said his remorseful client gave police a full confession upon his arrest.

Judge Barbara Tomkins said this set of offences serves as a reminder “of the insidiousness of drug addiction.”