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Counterfeit Check Casher Lands Behind Bars
A Beckley man is headed to federal prison after being caught cashing counterfeit checks, as part of a larger scheme to steal and pass off fake checks.
Shawn Meadows, 30, was sentenced to eight months of federal incarceration for his role in the mail theft and counterfeit check cashing scheme. He was also ordered to pay more than $7,106 in restitution to a bank that was victimized by the scheme.
Meadows previously pled guilty on April 11, 2018, to the felony offense of uttering a counterfeit check. His sentencing is a result of an investigation by the Beckley Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service, who caught the three defendants in the act.
"Caught in the act," said United States Attorney Mike Stuart. "Thanks to the quick work of the Beckley Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, this fraudulent scheme was brought to a quick end. It is gratifying to know that as a result of the prosecution, restitution will be paid to the victim bank."
According to the investigation, Meadows, along with co-defendants Savion Thomas and Deandre Smith, participated in the scheme on November 30, 2015. Smith and Thomas, both of Atlanta, Georgia, rented a car and drove to the Beckley area, where they stole checks from mailboxes. The stolen checks were then cleaned, counterfeited, and copied using a computer brought by Smith and Thomas.
Meadows was recruited to help cash the counterfeit checks at a local bank. The copied counterfeit checks were cashed on the same day at three separate branches of the same bank in Beckley, West Virginia. Two checks were successfully cashed before the Beckley Police Department stopped the three men after receiving a tip from bank employees.
All three men gave statements admitting to their role in the mail theft and check cashing scheme. Deandre Smith was sentenced for his role in the scheme on August 10, 2016, receiving a year of incarceration and a three-year term of supervised release. Savion Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on August 22, 2018. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and former Assistant United States Attorney Eric Bacaj handled the prosecutions, with Judge Irene C. Berger presiding over the sentencing hearing.
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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