Florence Four Face Federal Time for Counterfeit Scheme

FLORENCE, SC – Four Florence County residents are facing federal prison time after pleading guilty to charges related to a sophisticated counterfeit money operation that spanned both Carolinas. The scheme, active since 2015, involved the production and distribution of fake $100 and $50 bills, ultimately totaling over $100,000 in fraudulent currency.

Shadrick Jarmarcus Jett, age 26, Joel Ray Cain, Jr., age 25, Gary Jerome Smart, age 26, all of Florence, SC, and Christopher Jamall Moody, age 27, of Effingham, SC, all entered guilty pleas in federal court in Florence earlier this week. Jett, Cain, and Smart pled guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and pass counterfeit money, while Moody admitted to conspiracy to pass counterfeit money – both violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Judge Bryan Harwell will determine their sentences after reviewing pre-sentence reports prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

The investigation revealed a network of at least nine individuals actively involved in the creation and circulation of the fake bills. Jett, Cain, and Smart were directly involved in the manufacturing process, operating out of multiple residences in Florence. A search of Cain’s home uncovered an Epson printer and a genuine $100 “parent note” – the original bill used to create the counterfeits. Jett’s vehicle yielded similar evidence after a brief chase by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies discovered a genuine parent note, eleven completed counterfeit $100 bills, and over 450 incomplete images of more fake bills, all traced back to the same original note. The Secret Service later confirmed that 230 of these counterfeit $100 bills, bearing the same serial number, had been passed since June 2017.

The operation wasn’t confined to manufacturing; all four defendants actively participated in passing the counterfeit currency. Cain cashed fake bills at businesses in Easley, South Carolina, and Greensboro and Lenoir, North Carolina. Smart targeted locations in Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina. Jett successfully passed a counterfeit $100 bill in Concord, North Carolina. Moody’s attempt to pass a fake bill in Troy, North Carolina, in March 2017, led to his immediate arrest and the discovery of additional counterfeit bills linked to the same serial numbers as those circulated by other members of the conspiracy.

United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine. While the full extent of their sentences remains to be seen, this case sends a clear message: counterfeiting is a serious federal crime with severe consequences.

The case was a joint effort, investigated by agents of the United States Secret Service, with crucial assistance from the Florence County Sheriff’s Office and the Florence Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney A. Bradley Parham, of the Florence office, is prosecuting the case, ensuring those responsible for flooding the Carolinas with fake money are held accountable.

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