Frank Bourassa was not a typical criminal. He was a businessman who decided his product would be money itself. In a quiet corner of Trois-Rivières, Quebec, this Canadian man orchestrated the largest counterfeiting operation in US history by a single individual. His target was the twenty-dollar bill. He reasoned that while store clerks scrutinize hundred-dollar notes, they rarely glance twice at a twenty. By the time he was finished, he had printed a staggering $250 million in fake US currency.
The Impossible Recipe
Bourassa knew that the feel of the currency was the hardest part to fake. US dollars are printed on a specific blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. This unique composition is what gives money its distinct crispness. To get this, Bourassa created a fake corporate entity and contacted a paper mill in Europe. He claimed he needed secure bond paper for corporate stock certificates. He successfully ordered enough custom paper to print a quarter of a billion dollars. The mill even included the specific watermarks and security strips he requested.
The Half-Million Dollar Press
With the paper secured, Bourassa set up a high-end Heidelberg offset printing press in a hidden industrial location. He invested over $325,000 to get the operation running. He studied the US twenty-dollar bill down to the pixel. He sourced invisible inks to replicate the UV security features that glow under black light. The result was a bill so perfect that it fooled detection machines and experienced handlers alike. He printed continuously for five months until he had $250 million stacked on wooden pallets.
A Dangerous Game of Hide and Seek
He began selling the bills to criminal gangs for thirty cents on the dollar. He avoided spending the money himself to keep a low profile. However, the flood of fake cash eventually caught the attention of the US Secret Service. They traced the operation back to Canada through an undercover sting involving his buyers. In May 2012, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police raided his home. They found printing plates and a small amount of cash, but the main stash was missing. Bourassa was arrested and faced extradition to the United States. He was looking at a potential sixty-year prison sentence.
The Ultimate Get-Out-of-Jail Card
Bourassa played his final ace. He told authorities he had $200 million in counterfeit bills hidden in a secure location that they had missed. He offered a trade. If they let him stay in Canada and gave him a light sentence, he would hand over the money. If not, the cash would vanish into the global economy. The authorities realized the danger of that much fake currency entering circulation. They agreed to the deal. Bourassa led them to a truck filled with 20 million fake notes. In exchange, he served only six weeks in prison and paid a fine of roughly $1,350.