Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Courtney Thomas, age 22, of Columbia, pled guilty in federal court in Columbia to Conspiracy, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, § 371. United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence her at a later date.
On multiple dates in October 2014, Wal-Mart cashier Courtney Thomas accepted a total of $4,850 in counterfeit money from her co-defendant. Her co-defendant would call or text to learn what register Thomas was working at the Killian Road location. He then went through her line and purchased items of nominal value, paying for them with the counterfeit money. Thomas accepted the counterfeit money and loaded the remaining balance onto Visa cards for their mutual benefit.
Ms. Drake stated the maximum statutory penalty faced by Thomas is imprisonment for five years and a fine of $250,000.
The United States Secret Service, assisted by the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Winston David Holliday, Jr., of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
