Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Bryan Lyndell Chapman, 26, of Mississippi, with one count of manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, one count of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Chapman faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the counterfeiting offenses, up to 15 years in federal prison on the firearm offense and payment of restitution to the victims he allegedly defrauded. The indictment also notifies Chapman that the U.S. intends to forfeit a Bushmaster Firearms pistol, ammunition and a printer traceable to the offenses. Chapman was arrested on February 26 and ordered detained.

According to the indictment and public records, from 2023 into 2024, Chapman manufactured counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. He then defrauded businesses by passing the counterfeit currency. At the time of his arrest, Chapman was out on bond for a pending felony firearm charge in the state of Mississippi. He also was previously convicted of a felony in state court in Tennessee. As a convicted felon, Chapman is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.     

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office, and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Frein. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.

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