A Reseda man was sentenced Thursday to a year of probation for selling 49 counterfeit $100 bills to an undercover agent in exchange for $1,000 in genuine currency.

Victor Raul Andia Von Hesse, 75, pleaded guilty in February to dealing in counterfeit obligations and securities of the United States. The charge carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years, but prosecutors recommended probation due to the defendant’s age and medical condition, quick acceptance of responsibility and minimal criminal history, according to documents filed in Los Angeles federal court.

Prosecutors suggested that counterfeiting may be a family affair. In May 2014, the U.S. Secret Service was notified by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer that a confidential informant had provided information about the Andia family, which was alleged to be involved in the manufacture, trafficking and distribution of counterfeit American currency manufactured in Peru, according to court documents, which state that Von Hesse “is a member of the Andia family.”

On March 22, 2018, the confidential informant informed the Secret Service that Von Hesse offered to sell $5,000 in counterfeit $100 Federal Reserve Notes. Later that day, Von Hesse exchanged 49 $100 bills he knew were counterfeit for $1,000 in genuine currency from an undercover government agent, who accompanied the confidential informant, federal prosecutors wrote.

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