Jason M. Frierson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada
A Lancaster, California resident has been sentenced to 57 months in prison for his involvement in a bank fraud scheme involving over $1.2 million in forged money orders. Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon also ordered Sterlyn Lee Smith Jr., 49, to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Court documents reveal that from July 31, 2013, to February 13, 2019, Smith and numerous accomplices executed a plan to deposit altered money orders into bank accounts under other people's names. They then withdrew the funds before banks could identify the forgery. The fraudulent activity involved purchasing money orders at United States Post Offices in California and Nevada and altering them to reflect higher amounts. These altered money orders were deposited into accounts at two banks located in Nevada and California.
Throughout this six-year period, Smith and others deposited or attempted to deposit more than 1,200 forged money orders totaling over $1.2 million. Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud corresponding to each of the victimized banks and was ordered to pay restitution amounting to $432,482.63.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada alongside Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson of the United States Postal Inspections Service (USPIS), Phoenix Division.
The case was investigated by USPIS with Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Frayn and Justin Washburne prosecuting.
For those wishing to report a fraud complaint, they are encouraged to contact the U.S. Postal Service Fraud Complaint Hotline at 1-800-372-8347 or visit the USPIS website at www.usps.com/postalinspectors.