SERVICE AGENT CHARGED WITH PASSING COUNTERFEITS

The former Secret Service agent charged with stealing and using confiscated counterfeit money got into a back-and-forth exchange with a judge about whether he should be required to turn over his guns Thursday afternoon at a bail hearing. Anthony Eugene Preissig of Saint Johns also took offense when the prosecutor spoke of his family in open court. Vincent Citro, lead prosecutor in the case, said Preissig was arrested Thursday morning at his home on Worthington Parkway. The 47-year-old Preissig, who has since retired from the Secret Service, told the judge he doesn’t present a danger to anyone.

According to the charging document filed in federal court, Preissig investigated instances of counterfeit money at the Jacksonville Secret Service office before he left the office.

He is accused of stealing the fake notes sometime after Oct. 17, 2011. The amount exceeded $1,000. On Halloween in 2011, Preissig used a fake $100 bill at a gas station in St. Johns County, the charging document said.

Preissig denied stealing counterfeit notes and said he did not know the $100 bill he used on Halloween was fake or know where he got it, according to court records.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office maintains Preissig lied to a special agent of the Department of Homeland Security and to a Secret Service inspector when he told them those statements in November 2011.

During court proceedings, Preissig told the judge he is undergoing psyco-dynamic therapy for bipolar disorder, manic depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder in response to a question about medications he currently takes.

Toomey called Preissig’s decision to represent himself unusual and scheduled a hearing on the matter to make sure he understood the implications.

To read the complete article, see: Former Secret Service agent from St. Johns charged with stealing fake money (members.jacksonville.com/news/crime/2014-01-16/story/former-secret-service-agent-st-johns-charged-stealing-fake-money)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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