This story is by no means new, but I'm bringing it up now because I wasn't part of the TFP last year when it happened, and there's an article about it in this month's Rolling Stone, so some of you may have just recently been made aware. The reason why I know about it at all is because the kids it's about were in my graduating high school class last year.
If you care to read, here's an article from the Washington Post. It's mostly about the basketball player involved, but you get the idea. A somewhat thorough article can be found in Rolling Stone.
The gist of it is, these idiots thought it would be a good idea to make some fake $20 bills and try to buy drugs in WV with them. Then they tried to use some at a local Silver Diner (fyi a chain restaurant), where one of the waiters recognized one of the guys, a local basketball star who at the time had a full ride to play ball at BU. They all were questioned by the Secret Service (who handles counterfeit money), and released without jailtime because they cooperated. However, some of the guys beat the shit out of this other guy cause they thought he sold them out, so they got slapped with intimidating a federal witness - bad idea. Somehow they got out of that too, and now basically they all have to lay low for a long long time or they all in it real deep.
My question is, what do people outside of our community think should happen to these guys? My opinion is very biased, because I knew those guys and I think that most of them are assholes and I wouldn't mind seeing them tossed in federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison. But subjectivity aside, I still think they should have gotten more than slaps on the wrist. I mean come on, a couple felonies apiece and they get some community service? Virginia is notorious for mercilessly bitch-slapping felons, and all these guys were over 18 when it happened. I think they got off way easy.
After re-reading the Post article, I strongly encourage you to read the RS article, which as far as I know is unfortunately not available online. If you're interested, that is.