U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko | U.S. Department of Justice
A Cleveland woman, Toni Laverne Smith, 71, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison after admitting guilt to charges related to the sale of stolen U.S. Treasury bonds. The charges include conspiracy to transport and sell the bonds across state lines, forging treasury bonds, and using a false social security number.
Court documents revealed that Smith was in possession of U.S. Treasury bonds believed to have been stolen from an elderly woman's residence in 2011. The investigation showed that between September 2011 and April 2012, Smith and a co-conspirator transported these stolen bonds across state lines. They used fake identification cards bearing the victim's name to negotiate the sale of over 350 forged Series E and EE U.S. Treasury bonds with a face value of $268,500. This resulted in approximately $299,364 in proceeds, including interest on mature bonds.
Additionally, Smith used the victim's social security number to open bank accounts at various financial institutions as far away as Michigan and Illinois. She managed to evade capture for more than ten years before federal authorities apprehended her on June 3, 2024, on unrelated charges.
The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Healy prosecuted it for the Northern District of Ohio.
For those needing to report stolen treasury bonds, they can visit https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/manage-bonds/lost-stolen-destroyed-ee-or-i-bonds/ or call 844-284-2676.
