That is clearly a fake invoice.

In an institution the size of the European Parliament, it would be surprising if there were not financial irregularities, double-claims, fake invoices and occasional nepotism.

Prosecutors said he created fake legal invoices to conceal cash that he was holding for the Treasurer to collect later.

But to make it work, he needed a partner on the inside at Majestic, someone on the task force to approve his fake invoices to Crescent.

As part of the scheme, Mr. Denaro said he submitted fake invoices for $430,000 and pocketed less than $80,000.

Mr. Morgenthau said she used fake invoices and double billing to take more than $23,000 in fraudulent reimbursements from the union.

He also said that she submitted thousands of dollars in fake invoices for printing work that was never done.

The warrant estimated that from February 1998 to July 2000, the fake invoices totaled $500,000; it did not estimate amounts for other periods.

According to the testimony of one of his employees, Laura Southard, they churned out as many as 300 fake invoices a day.

Last month, Federal prosecutors charged 18 people with paying or accepting bribes for awarding contracts, approving fake invoices and expediting board payments to some contractors.