An Urbana woman has been sentenced to prison for her role in a counterfeit check scheme that resulted in an estimated loss of more than $100,000.
Stephanie Lemons, 43, of the 1200 block of South Vine Street, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison for engaging in the scheme.
Lemons was ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons on March 2, 2021, to begin serving her sentence.
Following her sentence, Lemons was ordered to serve two years of supervised release.
Lemons and her co-defendant, Tommie Slayton, of Champaign, Ill., were charged with conspiring together and with others to engage in a scheme to pass more than 120 counterfeit checks from July through December 2018.
The scheme involved presenting counterfeit checks at Walmart Stores in Champaign and Bloomington, Ill., and forged checks at Heartland Bank of Champaign, Ill.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the FDIC Office of Inspector General and the Champaign and Urbana Police Departments, in cooperation with the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Lemons pleaded guilty to conspiracy and 19 counts of fraud on February 6, 2020, as charged in the indictment.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson in the prosecution.
Tommie Slayton, Lemons’ co-defendant, is scheduled for a change of plea hearing and sentencing on December 1, 2020, before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm.
Lemons purchased specialized equipment, including a printer, paper and ink, designed to print payroll checks, as an investment in the “infrastructure of her enterprise” to defraud others, the court found.
Related Federal Cases
- Felicia Nicole Ardoin, Counterfeit Check Scheme, Beaumont TX, 2023 · Texas
- Two Foreign Nationals, ID Theft Scheme, Los Angeles CA, 2023 · Illinois
- Letitia James, Ammo Sales Background Check Enforcement, New York 2023 · Illinois
- Maurice L. Burks, Healthcare Fraud Scheme, East St. Louis IL, 2023 · Illinois
- Tanya Nichols, Tax Refund Scheme, MO, 2014 · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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