Related Federal Cases
- Shadrick Jarmarcus Jett, Counterfeit Currency Production, SC 2023 · North Carolina
- David Michael Gibson, Counterfeit Currency Conspiracy, SC 2024 · South Carolina
- Jonathan Wade Sumter, PPP Loan Fraud, Greenville SC, 2022 · South Carolina
- Jamie Brown, Federal Drug Trafficking, South Carolina, 2023 · South Carolina
- David Haisten, Counterfeit Pet Products, SC 2024 · South Carolina
Jamie Edward Cole, Counterfeit Currency, Greenville SC, 2017
Greenville, SC – Jamie Edward Cole, 38, of Gray Court, South Carolina, has confessed to flooding the Upstate with fake cash. Cole entered a guilty plea in federal court today, admitting he manufactured counterfeit U.S. currency and passed it at numerous businesses earlier this year. The scheme, caught on multiple surveillance cameras, has finally come crashing down on the 38-year-old.
According to evidence presented in court, Cole wasn’t just passing a few bills here and there; he was actively manufacturing the counterfeit money himself. The operation spanned several months in early 2017, with Cole targeting stores across the region. Investigators from multiple agencies were able to piece together the scheme through video evidence and ultimately apprehended Cole with counterfeit currency still in his possession at the time of his arrest.
United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Cole pleaded guilty to violating Title 18 U.S.C. § 471 – the federal statute covering the manufacture and circulation of counterfeit currency. This isn’t a slap-on-the-wrist offense. Cole now faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years behind bars and a hefty $250,000 fine. The judge, Bruce Howe Hendricks, will review a presentence report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office before handing down the final punishment.
The investigation was a multi-agency effort. Agents from the U.S. Secret Service took the lead, but were assisted by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Simpsonville Police Department, and the Greenville City Police Department. The coordinated effort highlights the seriousness with which federal authorities are taking the issue of counterfeit currency, even in smaller-scale operations like this one. The Secret Service rarely makes a public statement like this, suggesting the operation was significant enough to warrant wider attention.
Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen, of the Greenville office, prosecuted the case, building a solid case based on the surveillance footage and physical evidence. It remains to be seen how much of the counterfeit cash Cole managed to circulate before being caught, and what impact his scheme had on local businesses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has yet to comment on whether they will pursue asset forfeiture to recover any profits Cole may have made.
This case serves as a stark reminder that counterfeiting is a serious federal crime. While the lure of easy money might be tempting, the consequences – a potential 20-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine – are simply not worth the risk. Cole’s actions will now have lasting repercussions, not only for him, but for his family and the community he defrauded.
Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
Related Criminal Cases in US News
- Candies Goode-McCoy, COVID-19 Tax Credit Scheme, Nevada 2026
- Marco Tulio Lopez-Romero, Homicide, Reston VA, 2026
- Little Tiger, Wire Fraud, California 2023
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News