United States v. Prestenbach

PATRICK E. HIGGINBOTHAM, Circuit Judge:

On May 17, 1983, while serving time for a prior conviction, prison officials conducted a routine inspection of defendant Chris Prestenbach’s personal property. They discovered that a lotion bottle in his possession contained a plastic bag with six Postal Service money orders inside. Four of the money orders had been altered.

Prestenbach was indicted and convicted of four counts of violating 18 U.S.C. § 494. 1 Each count had charged him with knowing possession with intent to utter and publish as true one of the altered money orders. The district judge…