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Date: 02-25-2021
Case Style:
Case Number: 2:19-cr-20041-MMM-EIL
Judge: Sara L. Darrow
Court: United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois (Champaign County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorney’s Office
Defendant's Attorney:
Description: Urban, Illinois counterfeit check scheme charge criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant, Tommie Slayton, 36, of the 2400 block of Clayton Boulevard, who was charged with engaging in a counterfeit check scheme that resulted in an estimated loss of more than $100,000.
On Oct. 20, 2020, U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid sentenced Slayton’s co-defendant Stephanie Lemons, 43, of the 1200 block of South Vine Street, Urbana, Ill. to serve 18 months in prison for her role in engaging in the counterfeit check 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.
Slayton pleaded guilty to the charges immediately prior to sentencing. In addition to the conspiracy charge, Slayton was charged with seven counts of bank fraud. On Feb. 6, 2020, Lemons entered pleas of guilty to the conspiracy and 19 counts of fraud as charged in the indictment.
Lemons and Slayton conspired 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.
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 was 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)
18:1344A.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)
(14-15)
18:1344A.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)
(16-20)
Outcome: Defendant is committed to the custody of the BOP for 24 months; said term shall consist of 24 months on each of Counts 1, 14-20, concurrent with each other. Upon release from custody, defendant shall serve 3 years supervised release; said term shall consist of 3 years on each of Counts 1, 14-20, concurrent with each other. $800 special assessment is imposed.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: