ALPENA — An Alpena youth who was in July charged with two felony counts of uttering and publishing counterfeit bills or notes has pleaded guilty to one of the charges and had the second one dropped.

The plea happened Monday in 26th Circuit Court in Alpena County.

Michael Standridge was arrested and charged with the crimes after police said he used fake $100 bills to make purchases around town. The bills appeared to be prop money, as is often used on movie and television sets, and looks very similar to real currency.

Standridge defense attorney Michael Lamble requested that his client be sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which allows a person who commits a crime after their 17th birthday but before their 21st birthday to keep a conviction off their public criminal record if they comply with the terms of the sentencing.

Whether the act is used will be determined by Judge Michael Mack, who seemed open to the idea, but offered some advice to Standridge on Monday before leaving court.

“HYTA is requested, but not required, so you would be smart to get out and volunteer and do community service ahead of sentencing, and have it verified in writing,” Mack said. “That would perhaps show me you are interested in the benefits of receiving that. If you show up here without any, it is not going to look very convincing.”

When police arrested Standridge at his home on Parsons Street in Alpena, several of the fake bills were confiscated, as well as other items police believe may have been purchased by Standridge with the phoney money.

He used at least one of the fake bills to purchase a cell phone from an individual.

Standridge will be sentenced Dec. 17 and could face as much five years in prison.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com or 989-358-5689. Follow Steve on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.