Florence, SC – A pair of Florence residents are facing federal prison time after admitting to their roles in a sophisticated counterfeit currency scheme that flooded fake bills across South Carolina and North Carolina. Shanteley Latrice Howard, 33, and Kermit Lee Smith, 29, both pled guilty in federal court earlier this week, bringing a piece of the larger operation to a close.
According to court documents, Howard and Smith were part of a conspiracy involving at least nine individuals responsible for churning out and distributing over $100,000 in bogus $100 and $50 bills. The scheme reportedly began in 2015, and evidence suggests a deliberate, organized effort to flood the region with counterfeit cash. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina confirmed the guilty pleas.
The Secret Service, leading the investigation with assistance from the Florence County Sheriff’s Office and Florence Police Department, uncovered a makeshift printing operation at a Florence residence belonging to Howard. Agents seized an Epson Workforce printer and a genuine $100 bill – dubbed a “parent note” – which was used as the template for the counterfeit bills. Investigators discovered over one thousand fake $100 bills bearing the same serial number as the seized “parent note” had been passed during the course of the conspiracy. Howard herself directly passed counterfeit bills at businesses throughout Florence and other South Carolina locations.
The conspiracy wasn’t confined to Florence. On October 23, 2016, Howard, Smith, and another co-conspirator traveled to the Upstate region of South Carolina. There, each of them successfully passed counterfeit $100 bills at a grocery store in Easley. This demonstrated a calculated effort to spread the fraudulent currency beyond their immediate locality, aiming to maximize their illicit gains.
Both Howard and Smith pled guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and pass counterfeit money (Title 18, United States Code, Section 371). While awaiting sentencing after presentence reports are compiled by the U.S. Probation Office, they face a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine. Assistant United States Attorney A. Bradley Parham is prosecuting the case from the Florence office.
The case highlights the ongoing threat of counterfeit currency and the Secret Service’s continued efforts to dismantle these criminal enterprises. While the investigation has yielded guilty pleas from Howard and Smith, authorities haven’t ruled out further arrests as they continue to untangle the full scope of the conspiracy and identify all those involved in this brazen scheme. Grimy Times will continue to follow this developing story.
Related Federal Cases
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- John Smith, Murder, South Carolina 1920 · North Carolina
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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