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KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — An American man was charged in a Ugandan court for forging currency of more than $190,000 found in his Ugandan home, according to a charge sheet by a magistrate court in Kampala.
Ryan Gustafson faces 25 years in prison if convicted of the charges that came after his arrest in this East African country early this month. Gustafson will remain jailed until his trial on Jan. 9, 2015, said Lilian Bucyana, the chief magistrate at the Buganda Road Court on Monday. The state objected to his bail application.
"Forged money and one bullet were recovered from his house in Mbalwa, Namugongo," said lead state attorney Lino Anguzu.
Police alleged that Gustafson has forged more than $2 million that is in circulation around the world. Police recovered from Gustafson's house printers, thumb drives, paper cutters, routers and ink believed to be used in printing the fake money, said police spokesman Fred Enanga.
Gustafson, who was charged with nine other counts in Uganda, had illegally entered the country and had refused to reveal his true identity, Anguzu said. During his arrest, Gustafson told police his name was Jack Ferrel before they recovered a photocopy of his expired passport, police spokesman Enanga said.
Gustafson is charged alongside Christopher Kojo, a Ugandan businessman, who allegedly conspired with the American engineer. The two were arrested on December 11 in Uganda's capital, Kampala, with more than 6,000 fake notes totaling nearly $194,000, the charge sheet said.
Gustafson's lawyer Evans Ochieng said he would file an affidavit for bail this week.
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