Jefferson County deputies say 124 local counts were filed as the Secret Service evaluates federal charges.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Charlestown, Ind., man booked on a warrant at the Jefferson County District Courthouse Thursday was found with a concealed stack of counterfeit bills worth a little over $9,000, officials said. The U.S. Secret Service responded after deputies flagged the suspected forgeries during intake at Louisville Metro Corrections.
Investigators identified the man as 29-year-old Hunter Byrnes. What began as a routine arrest quickly widened as deputies counted dozens of fake notes in mixed denominations. The sheriff’s office said Byrnes now faces more than 120 local charges connected to counterfeit currency, and federal authorities are reviewing the case for possible prosecution. The discovery inside a busy courthouse adds urgency to ongoing concerns about fake money surfacing in everyday transactions across the region, while raising fresh questions about how the stash was acquired and where it might have been used.
Deputies said the seized bundle appeared designed to pass a quick glance: genuine $100 bills on top, with counterfeit notes beneath. During property collection, a deputy unwrapped the stack and found the majority were fakes. On Friday, Chief Deputy Steve Healey said deputies immediately called federal partners. “Counterfeit money falls under the jurisdiction of the United States Secret Service,” Healey said. “Once we discovered this amount of currency, we coordinated with the Secret Service. They responded to the courthouse, and they are looking to adjudicate that through the federal system.” Courthouse operations continued while investigators documented each bill and secured evidence.
Authorities said they recovered 84 counterfeit $100 bills and 40 counterfeit $20 bills. The sheriff’s office said the notes lacked microprinting and embedded security threads common to genuine currency. Investigators are also reviewing serial numbers to see how many repeat within the batch, a sign of mass-produced counterfeits. Officials said Byrnes described himself as a self-employed caregiver when questioned about his work. Whether he intended to spend the money inside the courthouse was not established. As of Tuesday, no other suspects had been named publicly, and investigators had not announced a clear source for the forged notes.
Friday’s briefing also highlighted courthouse security. Deputies said a separate screening that same week stopped a 14-year-old girl from entering the Hall of Justice with a handgun in her handbag. The gun was found during routine scanning. Officials said they did not yet know whether she carried the weapon for someone else. The sheriff’s office used the incident to underscore the role of the Judicial Threat Assessment Center and to note a rise in counterfeiting complaints tied to person-to-person sales arranged online, where buyers and sellers often meet in parking lots or lobbies.
Byrnes faces 124 counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument under Kentucky law, according to the sheriff’s office. Federal authorities will determine whether to bring additional charges after reviewing the bills and related evidence. Any federal case would be filed in U.S. District Court following a presentation to prosecutors. Next steps include formal evidence transfer, laboratory examination of the currency and a review for links to other regional cases. A first appearance on the local charges is expected this week; bond and counsel will be set by a judge based on the county docket.
People in and around the courthouse on Friday described a typical, crowded docket day with an increased number of deputies posted near screening. A courthouse employee said staff heard about the seizure “as part of the morning chatter” but that courtrooms stayed on schedule. Outside, lawyers and defendants moved in and out under winter skies as the lunch hour approached. “Courthouses are high-stress environments,” Healey said at the briefing, adding that keeping weapons and contraband out is essential to daily operations.
As of Tuesday, the counterfeit case remains open with the Secret Service evaluating federal charges and local investigators cataloging serial numbers on the seized bills. Officials said they plan an update after the initial lab review and any charging decisions. The next expected milestone is the defendant’s local court appearance and the formal handoff of evidence to federal custody later this week.
Author note: Last updated January 13, 2026.