Arthur J. Williams Jr.
{{Short description|American counterfeiter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox criminal
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|11|23}}
| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
| children = Arthur Williams III
}}
Arthur J. "Art" Williams Jr. is an American-born artist and former counterfeiter,{{Cite web |last=Stuart |first=Gwynedd |date=August 26, 2021 |title=The Outrageous Story of How Arthur J. Williams Jr. Went from Cash Counterfeiter to Gallery Owner |url=https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/arthur-j-williams-davincis-gallery/ |access-date=June 20, 2022 |website=Los Angeles}} who counterfeited the 1996 hundred dollar bill, and was subject of the book The Art of Making Money by Jason Kersten. His notoriety came as being the first to break all the security features within the 1996-issued $100 bill.{{Cite web |date=December 3, 2018 |title=Counterfeiter: Arthur J. Williams Jr |url=https://thefloridavillager.com/2018/12/03/counterfeiter-arthur-j-williams-jr/ |access-date=June 20, 2022 |website=The Florida Villager}} Williams would serve twelve years in various prisons throughout his life.{{Cite web |title=Infamous Convicted Counterfeiter Arthur J. Williams on Going from Inmate to Artist to the Stars |url=http://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/infamous-convicted-counterfeiter-arthur-j-williams-on-going-from-inmate-to-artist-to-the-stars |access-date=June 20, 2022 |website=Artspace}}
Biography
= Early life =
Williams was born in 1972. His family was constantly moving around the country before his fraudster father abandoned them in Illinois when Williams was 11. The family then relocated to a housing project in Bridgeport, Chicago. Williams was taught how to counterfeit at the age of 15. As a teenager, he had a child, Art Williams III.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}
= Counterfeiting =
In 1996, the U.S. Treasury had made a focused effort to stop counterfeiting by releasing new bills. The first to be released was the $100 note, which Williams studied extensively in order to counterfeit.{{cite magazine |last1=James |first1=Randy |title=The Art of Counterfeiting Money |url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1904595,00.html |access-date=March 17, 2022 |magazine=Time |date=June 15, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090618142708/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1904595,00.html |archive-date=June 18, 2009 |url-status=dead}}
In February 2001, Williams was caught with $60,000 in fake currency at the House of Blues with his wife's sister. He was released due to an illegal search and seizure. He was later arrested again in 2002 for producing counterfeit money. This resulted in a three-year prison sentence.{{cite news |last1=Coen |first1=Jeff |title=Vow to reform was as bogus as his money |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2007-10-12-0710120052-story.html |date=October 12, 2007 |access-date=March 17, 2022 |work=Chicago Tribune}}
Williams was arrested in August 2006 after authorities searched his apartment and found counterfeit bills and tools to make counterfeit bills.{{cite web |last1=Coen |first1=Jeff |title=Counterfeiter who told story arrested again |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-08-18-0608180203-story.html |date=August 18, 2006 |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=March 17, 2022}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Arthur J. Jr.}}
Category:American counterfeiters
Category:American prisoners and detainees
Category:Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government