STERLING, Va. — An accused scammer is in custody Wednesday night after he was arrested for allegedly moving $28,500 in fake money through Dulles Airport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said Wednesday.
Tuma Thierry Henry was arrested at the airport last week on felony forgery charges. U.S. Customs found bundles of blank black paper inside his luggage labeled "One Hundreds." Under ultraviolet light, the paper resembled an American $100 bill.
In a release Wednesday, Customs officials explained the scheme.
"In a black money scam, criminals tell a story of chemically altering or dying the currency notes to evade detection by customs authorities," Customs and Border Protection said. "The criminal then tells of needing cash, offers to sell these notes at a discount, and explains how a victim can 'wash' the color off the note to reveal actual U.S. Currency."
Henry is from Indonesia. Officials say he arrived at Dulles to board a flight for Togo -- a country in West Africa.
"The public should be reminded that unscrupulous criminal organizations continue to operate financial schemes such as this black money scam," D.C. Area Port Director for CBP Marc Calixte said.
