Accused counterfeiter enters not-guilty plea

BANGOR – A man who was charged with passing nearly $250 in counterfeit money at local stores pleaded not guilty to six counts when he appeared in U.S. District Court in Bangor on Sept. 19.

Robert Morgan Pike, 33, of New Bedford, Mass., and Bangor made bail and was permitted to return to Massachusetts. The case should be ready for trial by Nov. 18, according to information in his file.

Pike was indicted Sept. 17 by a federal grand jury sitting in Bangor. He is charged with one count of counterfeiting in U.S. currency and with five counts of passing the funny money to Bangor businesses. If convicted, he faces the possibility of 20 years in prison on each count and a $250,000 fine.

The indictment states he “falsely made and counterfeited quantities of bills including three $10 bills, three $20 bills and three $50 bills.”

The offenses mentioned in the indictment allegedly occurred on Aug. 14, 2001. Bangor businesses affected were:

. Mr. G’s Convenience Store, Main Street, where Pike allegedly passed a fake $10 bill;

. Shaw’s Supermarket, Main Street, where Pike allegedly gave a fake $10 bill to a clerk;

. Country Sisters Store, Airport Mall, where Pike allegedly passed a fake $20 bill;

. Johnson’s Florist, Union Street, where Pike allegedly gave a clerk a fake $20 bill;

. Dakin’s Toy and Gift Store, formerly a business in the Airport Mall, where Pike allegedly passed a fake $10 bill.