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Counterfeit Check Scheme Unravels in Maryland
A scheme to defraud Target Corporation has led to the sentencing of two co-conspirators in Maryland. Nichelle Nicole Rogers and Ebony Nicole Ruffin were accused of using counterfeit personal checks and false identifications to obtain visa gift cards and other merchandise from Target stores across the region.
According to their plea agreements, Rogers and Ruffin used the counterfeit checks at Target stores in Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina from September 2011 to November 2013. The co-conspirators presented over 1,400 counterfeit checks, resulting in a total loss to Target of at least $485,000.
Rogers and Ruffin used the visa gift cards to buy items from Target for themselves and to purchase merchandise from other retailers, such as Nordstrom, which they later returned for cash. Rogers also used the stolen identification of a real person on the counterfeit checks and presented it to Target cashiers to complete at least 350 transactions.
Rogers was arrested on November 9, 2013, for shoplifting at a Nordstrom Rack in Woodbridge, Virginia. Police seized 27 counterfeit checks in her possession. She had previously attempted to use counterfeit checks and false identifications at other stores and had four receipts from a Target store indicating that she had purchased 12 visa gift cards via counterfeit checks that day.
U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Rogers to 54 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. She was also ordered to forfeit and pay restitution of $485,000. Ebony Nicole Ruffin received a sentence of 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for the wire fraud conspiracy.
The investigation was led by the U.S. Secret Service, with assistance from the Prince William County (Virginia) Police. United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Secret Service for its work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly O’Connell Hayes and Thomas P. Windom for prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force’s efforts to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes, enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state, and local authorities, and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions, and other organizations.
The Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force has filed over 12,841 financial fraud cases against nearly 18,737 defendants, including nearly 3,500 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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