A Windham man who passed $19,000 worth of counterfeit traveler’s checks was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Portland to serve eight months in federal prison and pay back the money as restitution.

Keith Coleman, 48, had passed 190 fake $100 American Express Travelers Cheques from Dec. 17, 2013, to Jan. 10 in stores throughout southern Maine, including Applebee’s, Best Buy, CVS Caremark, Denny’s, TGI Fridays, Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, RadioShack, Rite Aid, Ruby Tuesday, Staples, Target and Toys ‘R Us, according to court records.

Coleman pleaded guilty May 1 to a charge of passing a counterfeit traveler’s check and was initially allowed to remain free on bail pending sentencing.

But the U.S. Probation Department requested an arrest warrant on May 27 seeking to revoke Coleman’s bail because he had used cocaine and marijuana in violation of his bail conditions and state and federal law, according to court records. He was arrested and Judge Nancy Torresen ordered him detained until sentencing.

“The defendant’s past use of drugs, including cocaine, as recently as May 21, 2014, suggest that the defendant has continued to engage in transactions with drug dealers even while on release. There is a very real danger to the community that results from this type of behavior,” Torresen said in the order.

Torresen also sentenced Coleman to serve three years of supervised release following completion of his prison term.

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