Date: 11-07-2020

Case Style:

Case Number: 2:19-cr-20041-MMM-EIL

Judge: James E. Shadid

Court: United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois (Peoria County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorney’s Office, Peoria, Illinois

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description: Peoria, Illinois criminal defense lawyer represented defendant charged with counterfeit check fraud.

United States of America charged Stehpanie Lemons, age 43, with engaging in a counterfeit check scheme that resulted in an estimated loss of more than $100,000.

On Feb. 6, 2020, Lemons entered pleas of guilty to conspiracy and 19 counts of fraud as charged in the indictment. Lemons’ co-defendant, Tommie Slayton, of Champaign, Ill. is scheduled for a change of plea hearing and sentencing on Dec. 1, 2020, before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm. In addition to the conspiracy charge, Slayton is charged, along with Lemons, with seven counts of bank fraud.

Lemons and Slayton 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. As a result of the scheme, counterfeit checks were presented at Walmart Stores in Champaign and Bloomington, Ill., and forged checks at Heartland Bank of Champaign, Ill. At the sentencing hearing, the court found that 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 charges are the result of 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. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly M. Peirson in the prosecution.

18:371.F CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES Continuing from July 2018 through December 2018, in Champaign and McLean Counties and elsewhere, the Defendants did conspire to execute a scheme to defraud for purposes of obtaining money and property by false and fraudulent pretenses in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371 and 2.
(1)

18:513A.F UTTER FORGED AND COUNTERFEIT SECURITY On or about 7/31/2018 in Champaign County, defendant did commit counterfeit securities fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 513(a) and 2
(2)

18:513A.F UTTER FORGED AND COUNTERFEIT SECURITY On or about 8/1/2018 in Champaign County, defendant did commit counterfeit securities fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. 513(a) and 2
(3 to 7)

18:1343.F FRAUD BY WIRE, RADIO, OR TELEVISION On or about 7/31/2018, in Champaign County, the defendant did devise a scheme to defraud Walmart in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 2
(8)

18:1343.F FRAUD BY WIRE, RADIO, OR TELEVISION On or about 8/1/2018, in Champaign County, the defendant did devise a scheme to defraud Walmart in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 2
(9)

18:1343.F FRAUD BY WIRE, RADIO, OR TELEVISION On or about 8/10/2018, in Champaign County, the defendant did devise a scheme to defraud Walmart in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 2
(10)

18:1343.F FRAUD BY WIRE, RADIO, OR TELEVISION On or about 8/24/2018, in Champaign County, the defendant did devise a scheme to defraud Walmart in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 2
(11)

18:1343.F FRAUD BY WIRE, RADIO, OR TELEVISION On or about 9/23/2018, in Champaign County, the defendant did devise a scheme to defraud Walmart in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 2
(12)

18:1343.F FRAUD BY WIRE, RADIO, OR TELEVISION On or about 10/8/2018, in Champaign County, the defendant did devise a scheme to defraud Walmart in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1343 and 2
(13)

18:1344A.F BANK FRAUD On or about 9/12/2018 defendants did knowingly devise a scheme to defraud Heartland Bank to obtain monies, funds, credits, assets and other property by means of false and fraudulent pretenses in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344(2)
(14)

18:1344A.F BANK FRAUD On or about 9/12/2018 defendants did knowingly devise a scheme to defraud Heartland Bank to obtain monies, funds, credits, assets and other property by means of false and fraudulent pretenses in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344(2)
(15)

8:1344A.F BANK FRAUD On or about 9/14/2018 defendants did knowingly devise a scheme to defraud Heartland Bank to obtain monies, funds, credits, assets and other property by means of false and fraudulent pretenses in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1344(2)
(16 to 20)

Outcome: IT IS ORDERED that the Dft be committed to the custody of the BOP for 18 months as to each of Counts 1-20 to run concurrently with each other; 2 years of Supervised Release as to each of Counts 1-20 to run concurrently with each other; No Fine; $2,000.00 Special Assessment

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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