Criminal Sentencing

A Quebec man has been sentenced to nine months in jail after admitting to orchestrating one of the largest known shipments of counterfeit $2 coins in Canadian history. Jean-François Généreux, from Sorel, Quebec, approximately 70 kilometers from Montreal, was convicted after pleading guilty to importing thousands of Chinese-made fake toonies into the country. This case marks the second time a Canadian has been convicted in connection with counterfeit $2 coins.

The sentencing, which took place just before the Labour Day weekend, was delivered by Quebec Court Judge Marc-Nicolas Foucault. Généreux faced charges of importing and introducing counterfeit currency into Canada, and his nine-month sentence was part of a joint submission from both the Crown prosecutor and his defense lawyer. Additionally, Généreux received a concurrent 30-day sentence for illegal cannabis possession.

Authorities seized a total of 26,630 counterfeit toonies, which Généreux had imported from a manufacturer in Quanzhou, China. The bogus coins were intercepted by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) after Généreux disguised them as “metal badges” in shipping manifests. The CBSA was alerted when some of the coins were detected at Mirabel International Airport, while others were found hidden throughout his property.

Public safety concerns about the integrity of Canada’s monetary system have been raised following the discovery. Counterfeit coin expert Mike Marshall criticized the lenient sentencing, calling it a “slap on the wrist.” Under Canadian law, counterfeiters can face up to 14 years in prison. “It’s our monetary system that is being undermined, and Canada is doing nothing,” Marshall said.

Généreux has a long history of criminal activity, with over a dozen arrests since 2001, including prior convictions for counterfeiting, fraud, and identity theft. This latest arrest follows years of illegal activity, with multiple convictions for circulating fake documents and counterfeit money between 2002 and 2009.

The case also follows the May 2022 arrest of Daixiong He, 68, of Richmond Hill, Ontario. He was charged by the RCMP after being found with 10,000 counterfeit $2 coins, part of a larger investigation that became known as the “Camel Toe toonies” case. In He’s case, the courts discovered he had deposited approximately $80,000 worth of suspected fake toonies, making his involvement potentially the largest counterfeit coin case in Canadian history.

According to CBSA affidavits, Chinese manufacturers are producing the fake toonies and selling them online for as little as five cents per coin. While Généreux’s counterfeit operation could have yielded significant profits, his actions have ultimately led to his incarceration and the confiscation of the fake currency.

— With files from Global News and The Associated Press