A brazen scheme to defraud people across the country has come to an end with the guilty plea of Shirley Hills, a 51-year-old woman from Oelwein, Iowa.
Hills pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud in federal court in Cedar Rapids on an unspecified date. The scheme involved mailing counterfeit money orders to people who were told they had been selected as ‘Mystery Shoppers.’
According to court documents, Hills began mailing counterfeit money orders in March 2013, but claimed she was doing it as part of a job she found on the Internet when confronted by investigators. However, she admitted in her plea agreement that she started mailing counterfeit money orders again in October 2013, and attempted to mail $170,164.50 worth in October and November of that year.
In May 2014, Hills attempted to mail a package containing $401,220.60 worth of counterfeit money orders. The scheme was designed to have the victims cash the money orders and then wire funds to other people designated in the instructions accompanying the counterfeit money orders.
Hills faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Sentencing will be set after a presentence report is prepared.
Hills remains free on conditions of release set by the court pending sentencing. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and was investigated by the United States Postal Service.
The case file number is 15-CR-2034, and court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa is on Twitter at @USAO_NDIA.
Related Federal Cases
- Shirley Weimer, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Iowa 2014 · Iowa
- Jalel Aossey, William Aossey, Conspiracy to Make False Statements, Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, Iowa 2014 · Iowa
- Christine King, Mail Fraud, Iowa 2014 · Iowa
- Michael Recker, Grain Elevator Ticket Fabrication and Bankruptcy Fraud, Iowa 2012 · Iowa
- Jeremy J. Fishnick, Wire Fraud, Iowa 2023 · Iowa
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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