European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 10, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes thursday May 10, 1990it�?Ts a genuine funny Money situation by Ron Mckinney staff writer counterfeit printing plants in Europe produce millions in fake american Money each year but a . Secret service agent is puzzled Why the counterfeiters bother. Quot some plants print s5 million to s10 million in american Bills but what Are they going to do with it it s not an accepted monetary unit in Europe and you re not going to find Many buyers for  Richard Consylman said. Quot their Best customers Are usually an undercover  Consylman. Who works As a Liaison with european police officials also said the chances of getting caught Are High. A the Banks Aren t going to Lake a million dollars in counterfeit Bills Quot Consylman said. Quot it s Lough to fool a Bank w Ith so much  nevertheless the fake Money continues to show up in european and . Military communities. On april 23. Two germans and a Frenchman were arrested near Lorsch West Germany when they attempted to sell s3.5 million in counterfeit $100 american Bills for $65,000 to a German policeman. The incident is not uncommon. More than $ 17 million in counterfeit american Bills was confiscated last year in West Germany according to the West German criminal police. Counterfeit plants in Italy produce most of the fake american Bills in Europe usually sick notes Consylman said. By comparison More than $89 million in counterfeit Bills was seized in fiscal 1989 in the United Stales along with 71 counterfeit plants. Of the fake Bills produced get a feel for a real Bill agent says people with dollars in their hands need to get a Good led for the Money a value. A a Good method of detecting counterfeit Money is by the feel of the paper a said Richard Consylman an agent with the secret service. If Yon can feel the Ink raised above the paper it s the real thing he said. Counterfeit notes Are usually made on offset printers with Bond paper. The result is that the printing can be seen but not Felt like a newspaper. He also said a Hills looks Are important. If the Bill is faded it could be counterfeit another Point Worth checking Are the red and Bine fibres inside the paper pulp. A Good Quality counterfeiter will print red and Blue lines to simulate the fibres. But those lines can be removed with an Eraser. # Consylman said there is a Bottom line reason to give your folding Money the once oven if you leave a store with a counterfeit Bill you can to return it for the real thing. E $20s were by far the most popular followed by $ 100s and $ 10s. Because there Are so few markets for the Dollar in Europe Consylman said fake Bills usually filter into . Military communities. That a where the military a criminal investigative come Steps into the action. Its intelligence analysts for example have been monitoring the Trail of counterfeit $20 Bills showing up in the Darmstadt Community in recent months. The notes had previously surfaced in Bremerhaven West Germany and at fort Dix nj., in the last 15 months said Helga Johann a criminal intelligence analyst with the criminal investigation Comdr a 2nd Region Headquarters. Johann said 76 of the same Type of counterfeit $20 notes that have turned up in Darmstadt were found in the Bremerhaven area during february and March of 1989 at least 14 of the fake $20 Bills have been detected in Darmstadt since february Johann said. A counterfeit $50 Bill and a $100 Bill also recently turned up in Frank Furt. Nine of the Bills were confiscated in february when a Soldier and an american civilian were apprehended in Darmstadt after the Soldier tried to pass the counterfeits at the commissary said chief warrant officer Raymond Kangas chief of Field operations at the 2nd Region Headquarters. The command has been unable to prove that the civilian is the supplier of other counterfeit Bills showing up in Darmstadt. A a it a a very difficult situation a a Kangas said of trying to prove the guilt of someone passing counterfeit  do i go when Sheinberg closes a by Peggy Davidson Kaiserslautern Bureau monchengladbach West Germany a the closing of the Sheinberg military Community is generating concerns about medical care and school District lines among members of the monchengladbach sub Community. Quot most of the people Aren t concerned about Sheinberg closing Quot said it col. Robert c. Filbey. Commander of the monchengladbach sub Community. A Vrh Cinberg s closing that s a fact. Most people Are concerned about a where do i go when Sheinberg closes a and a Rhein bergs going but in a  that a what concerns  Filbey spoke tuesday night at a Community meeting held to discuss the effects of the closing on the monchengladbach sub Community which is scattered from Kalmar to Geilenkirche and from Heron Gen to Disseldorf. Once Sheinberg closes the Schinnen military Community in the Netherlands will be the Community responsible for a Host of services. But that change will cause a tidal wave of problems. The soldiers at the 15th combat equipment co at Heron Gen already must drive 30 minutes to reach Sheinberg where they can use the commissary and Exchange go to the clinic or visit the education finance or personnel offices. When Sheinberg closes oct. 1, the 28 soldiers assigned to Heron Gen will have to drive to Schinnen an hour and a half Southwest for much of this support. After a Heinberg a clinic shuts Down primary medical care will come from the 6th general dispensary in Brun sum the Netherlands 90 minutes away. Medical care will also be provided by German hospitals and other base clinics said 7th medical come spokeswoman Barbara Slifer. Emergency care will be provided after regular duty hours at the St. Marien Hospital in Sheinberg and St. Antonius Hospital in Kjeve. The care is provided at no Cost to the service member or family member. Command officials say these agreements would not be renewed beyond january. At that Point service members and their families can still use German hospitals but must pay for family member care through the civilian health and medical program of the uniformed services. Meeting participants weren to enthusiastic about using the German facilities and Many asked about using the British clinic at Segberg or the clinic at the Geilenkirche nato air base. Maj. David runt the . Air Force administrator at Geilenkirche said the clinic would not turn away any person needing immediate medical help. At the meeting sub Community members complained about the Lack of information on where the department of defense dependents schools officials were drawing new District lines. With school registration beginning this week parents were anxious to find out if their children were going to attend different schools next year. Filbey was Able to show parents approximately where the new line dividing the two districts would be. Families living South of a line generally along autobahn 46 through the town of Erkelenz would be sending their elementary school children to Geilenkirche and High school students to Bruns sum. Previously most children in the monchengladbach sub Community attended schools that were about 15 minutes away. If that line becomes the District Border parents May have the option of Quot grandfathering to keep their children in the schools they attended this year Filbey  lawyer says . Was not harmed by Mary Neth staff writer Koblenz West Germany a the defense attorney for accused spy Clyde Lee Conrad said wednesday that charges against his client should be reduced to reflect the new political climate in the East. Quot even if my client was guilty of espionage the changing political picture in Europe rules out that any danger to National Security May have resulted a Klaus Hummerich told reporters in a hallway outside the courtroom. But government prosecutor Friedrich Heching countered that reasoning with a simple historical argument nazi War criminals he said were not exonerated because of hitlers defeat. Joe Navarro an Fri special agent from Tampa fla., was the sole witness at wednesdays session. Because of the sensitive nature of Navarro a testimony the court was cleared after the agent was sworn in. His testimony was expected to continue thursday morning. Conrad a retired army sergeant first class is charged with treason. He is accused of leading an International spy ring that funnelled . Army and nato defense secrets to the soviet Union through contacts in Hungary. If convicted he could face a life sentence which under the German court Absentee voting rules in a. Criticized system Means 15 years behind bars. Conrad was apprehended by West German authorities in August 1988. He served in the army from 1965 to 1985, most of it in West Germany. Considered a Model Soldier he acquired a top secret clearance in March 1978 and held it until his retirement. He is alleged to have first contacted Hungary a secret service in 1967, using two Hun Ganan bom Brothers who lived in Sweden la carry military secrets out of West Germany. By Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a Federal voting assistance officials have asked the Justice department to file suit against Pennsylvania because of the states restrictive rules for filing Absentee ballots. Henry Valentino director of the Federal voting assistance program in the Pentagon said the suit would require Pennsylvania to accept Absentee ballots from service members and . Citizens overseas for up to 10 Days after tuesdays state primary. Many Pennsylvania counties did no to mail out Absentee ballots until 30 Days or less before the election Valentino said. A that just Isnit sufficient time for service members especially service members overseas in Remote areas to get those ballots fill them out and Send them Back a Valentino said. The problem is compounded by another state requirement that Absentee ballots must be counted on the Friday before the tuesday primary which cuts even More time off the available mailing period he said. More than 225,000 military personnel and family members living outside Pennsylvania in other states of it an f 30,000 . Citizens overseas Are eligible to vote in the primary Valentino said. Pennsylvania officials have been considering changes in their Absentee voting Laws but the Issue has been stalled in the legislature for the past several years. State officials have offered Little justification for their procedures except for some concerns about possible fraud under an extended balloting period Valentino said.. Police offer Reward in Heidelberg rape Case Heidelberg West Germany a . Police investigators Are offering a $ 1,000 Reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a Man who raped a Heidelberg woman. The rape occurred about 9 . On March 14 As the woman was walking from Patrick Henry Village to Kirchheim. The rapist is described As Black about 5 feet 7 inches tall with a Stocky build. Anyone with information should Contact the Heidelberg criminal investigation office at ets 370-7941 or civilian 06221-57-7941, or the military police at 370-6400 or 06221 -57-6400