Michelle L. Welcher, 40, and Mandy L. Tingley, 33, both of Marshall, Illinois, pled guilty today in United States District Court in Benton to an indictment charging them with conspiring to make and pass counterfeit United States currency and possession of counterfeit currency, announced Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The indictment, returned by a Federal Grand Jury on December 4, 2012, alleged that the offenses occurred from August 29th to Sept. 3, 2012, in and around Clark County.
Sentencing was set for December 6th at the United States District Courthouse in Benton. At that time, Welcher and Tingley each face up 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release to follow their incarceration on the conspiracy count. On the possession counts, each face up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Illinois State Police, and the Clark County Sheriff's Department with the assistance of the Clark County State's Attorney's Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
