LEESVILLE, LA – Deldrick Shykil Fowler, 25, of Leesville, Louisiana, is headed to federal prison for 40 months after pleading guilty to counterfeiting $100 bills. The scheme, uncovered late last year, involved producing fake currency specifically to purchase prepaid debit cards, a common tactic for criminals looking to spend illicit funds without a paper trail.
According to court documents, Fowler teamed up with an unnamed accomplice on December 27, 2016. Using a single legitimate $100 bill, the pair manufactured 58 counterfeit copies. The operation wasn’t about flooding the market with fake cash; it was targeted. The conspirators immediately put the fakes to work at a DeRidder, Louisiana department store.
The duo successfully exchanged $1,500 in counterfeit currency for three prepaid debit cards. The scheme began to unravel quickly, however, when the unused counterfeit bills were carelessly discarded in a trashcan at a local park. That’s where authorities found them, linking the bills back to the recent transaction at the DeRidder store.
Law enforcement moved swiftly. The day after the counterfeit bills were used, officers located Fowler in possession of two of the three prepaid cards. He’d already managed to spend the funds loaded onto the third card before being apprehended. The Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office and the DeRidder Police Department worked alongside the U.S. Secret Service in the investigation.
U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell handed down the 40-month sentence on Thursday, along with a three-year term of supervised release following Fowler’s incarceration. He was convicted on one count of counterfeiting obligations to the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case, bringing a swift conclusion to this localized counterfeit operation.
While the amount of counterfeit currency involved – $1,500 – might seem small, the U.S. Secret Service takes all counterfeiting cases seriously. Even limited schemes like Fowler’s undermine the integrity of the U.S. financial system and can contribute to larger criminal enterprises. The investigation highlights the ongoing efforts to combat financial fraud in Louisiana and beyond.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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