Ex-Counterfeiter Arthur Williams Jr.

What you'll learn

• 1 (00:37) **Introducing Ex-Counterfeiter Art Williams Jr.** - Theo introduces Art, who printed over $10 million and did 12 years in prison, setting up the story of his past and his present.
• 2 (02:17) **Origin Story: Poverty, a Missing Father, and the Parking Meters** - Art explains how his dad left and his mom’s mental illness led to homelessness, pushing him into street crime at age 12.
• 3 (03:07) **The Escalation: Gangs, Guns, and Getting Shot** - Art details the escalation from petty theft to gang life in 80s/90s Chicago, including a near-fatal shooting.
• 4 (08:55) **The Mentor: Pete Da Vinci and the Art of Being a Ghost** - Art meets an older counterfeiter who teaches him the quiet, methodical side of crime, which becomes a father figure relationship.
• 5 (14:11) **The 1996 Bill: The Challenge to Replicate** - Art explains the specific security features of the post-1996 $100 bill that the government said was impossible to copy.
• 6 (25:35) **The Breakthrough: Beating the Pen with Yellow Pages** - Art, fresh out of a Texas prison, sees a cashier use a simple marker pen and realizes that's the only test he needs to beat.
• 7 (30:23) **The Hybrid Method: Old Press Meets New Tech** - Art combines Pete’s old offset press technology with Natalie’s new computer skills to create a superior counterfeit bill.

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