The Identification of an Office Machine Copy of a Printed Copy of a Photographic Copy of an Original Sales Receipt

Abstract

Document examiners are often asked to examine copies in lieu of originals. Although copies frequently limit the forensic examination, they sometimes provide evidence that greatly increases their investigative importance and prosecutorial value. This paper presents one such case recently examined at the Southern Region Crime Laboratory of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case involved large numbers of office machine copies of gasoline sales receipts used to support a series of false claims. Laboratory examinations of the copies disclosed evidence that led to their positive association with the original and with several previous generations of copies produced by a variety of reproductive methods.