After pleading guilty to theft of tools and materials for counterfeiting purposes, former U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing employee David C. Faison was sentenced Feb. 26.

A U.S. District Court judge gave him nine months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

While working as a stock control recorder at the BEP, Faison sneaked out 21 uncut sheets of $100 bills from the BEP?s Washington, D.C., production facility. He then cut notes from the sheets by hand.

He attempted to put the home-cut notes into circulation by inserting them into slot machines at casinos between May and August of 2006. The machines print out tickets, which Faison would redeem for genuine currency at the casinos? payout windows. Casinos cooperated with the investigation, sharing surveillance video showing Faison at slot machines.

Face value of the stolen 32-note sheets was $67,200. Government agents recovered about nine of the sheets in Faison?s Maryland home. He had stashed them inside a roll of holiday wrapping paper.

Judge Paul L. Friedman also ordered Faison to pay the government the face value of the notes not recovered from his home, a total of $37,200, equivalent to 11 full sheets and part of a 12th sheet.

The uncut sheets were only partially printed when stolen, lacking what?s known in the paper money hobby as the third printing, which includes the green serial numbers and Treasury seal.

Faison had worked at the BEP for 36 years. After his arrest in August 2006, he cooperated fully with investigators, according to U.S. Attorney Jonathan Barr. Though Faison had initially sought probation, the judge made it clear that that was not an option.

Part of the plea agreement stipulated that he describe how he had taken the sheets ? information that has not been made public.

In court, Faison referred to the theft as a ?life-altering mistake,? according to a report in The Washington Post, which also stated that he was a heroin addict having difficulty recovering emotionally and mentally after the death of his wife.

Faison reportedly shook the hands of the prosecutors and investigators and thanked the judge after sentencing.