Relative Of African Dictator Admits To Counterfeiting Money In Ring With Ties To Pittsburgh
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PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A son of missionaries who later married into the family of an African dictator has admitted to his role in an international counterfeiting operation.
Ryan Gustafson admits guilt in international counterfeit currency operation headquartered in Uganda, which flooded the U.S. and Uganda with more than $2M in counterfeit FRNs: The bills were advertised, bought and sold on a DarkNet site he created https://t.co/olGGk25cI9
— WDPAnews (@WDPAnews) March 22, 2019
Ryan Gustafson, an American married to the granddaughter of the late Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and counterfeiting counts Thursday in Pittsburgh. The Post-Gazette reports prosecutors say Gustafson's operation was uncovered after one of his confederates bought coffee in Pittsburgh with a fake $100 bill.
The U.S. Secret Service says Gustafson had originally been arrested in Uganda in 2014 when police there raided his residence and found fake money and other evidence linking him to a counterfeiting ring.
The 28-year-old Gustafson's plea deal calls for a sentence of about six years. His lawyer is arguing for Gustafson's release pending sentencing.
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