Now this literally is dirty money.

[Lawrence Ng]

BURLINGTON, Iowa -- A psychiatrist who police say smeared excrement on dollars bills used to pay a parking ticket has been fined $250.

Ronald Preston McPike, 52, of Bonaparte, was charged with harassment of a public official after officials received an envelop in July labeled "Foreign brown substance on bills." The envelope contained several dollar bills and a parking ticket made up to McPike, police said.

Tests indicated the brown substance was fecal matter that had been smeared on the bills.

McPike told police the money fell into a toilet and was retrieved to pay the $5 parking ticket, police said.

Assistant Des Moines County Attorney Heidi Van Winkle had sought the maximum $500 fine and 30 days in jail for McPike.

"Something this disgusting requires more from the court than a minimum fine. This was a snub at law enforcement officers who are just doing their job," Van Winkle said.

McPike's lawyer, Bryan Schulte, said his client had a "serious error in judgment."

"He was vexed at getting parking tickets left and right and didn't consider what he did a criminal act," Schulte said.

Associate Judge Gary Snyder said McPike demonstrated "immature behavior unbecoming a professional person."

"It's hard to put this case into perspective because people seem to get more riled up about parking tickets than anything else," Snyder said. "This is a public heath issue which shouldn't have happened."

McPike declined to comment.