Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
The trouble began when he found a copy machine that made perfect copies. His name was Cliff Evans and the year was 1996 and he’d just finished Columbia University. He was in the midst of money troubles, and he was a hustler who wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He was at a crossroads in his life, but he didn’t hesitate. He opened the machine and put a dollar bill on it. The copy that came out looked exactly like money. In that moment, he became a professional counterfeiter. Evans was a friend of mine in high school, and his wild life story is the center of my new book about a true crime called “The Ivy League Counterfeiter.” It’s available on Scribd as an ebook. I talked to theGrio’s Maiysha Kai about it for her podcast, “Writing Black.” The episode will be out on Sunday.
That night he discovered the copy machine, Evan stayed for hours copying money. He created about $10,000 worth. The next day, he took short cab rides, just a few blocks each, then handed whoever was driving a fake $20. No one noticed. That day, he made several hundred real dollars. He knew he had something. He went back and worked hard at making sure the color of his bills looked right and the paper was the perfect texture — he often put his bills in a clothes dryer to make them feel aged. He went to…
