A brazen counterfeiting operation has been put to a halt in West Virginia, with a 24-year-old North Carolina man serving time for his role in the scheme. Xavier Sanders, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced to three years of probation after serving five months in jail for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States.
Sanders admitted to his role in a conspiracy to create and pass counterfeit United States currency in the Southern District of West Virginia. According to court documents, on October 12, 2022, Sanders and co-defendants Jamarcus Harris and Crystal Wilks traveled from North Carolina to West Virginia. Sanders admitted that they passed counterfeit $100 bills at businesses in Beckley, Fayetteville and Summersville.
The operation was not just limited to passing fake bills, but also attempted to create new counterfeit currency. Sanders and his co-conspirators rented a room at a Summersville hotel, where they attempted to create new counterfeit United States currency. The counterfeiting process involved bleaching $1 bills, scanning a genuine $100 bill, and printing the scanned image on the bleached bills.
Not all of Sanders’ co-defendants received the same leniency. Harris, 33, and Wilks, 24, of Lenoir, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on October 13, 2023, to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Harris was sentenced on February 2, 2024, to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $800 in restitution.
Wilks awaits sentencing, but it’s clear that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is taking a tough stance against those involved in the operation. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon, Andrew D. Isabell and Ryan Blackwell prosecuted the case. The verdict is a stark reminder that counterfeiting will not be tolerated, and those who engage in such activities will face the full weight of the law.
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Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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