A woman from San Antonio, Texas, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the District of New Jersey for allegedly creating and selling counterfeit retail coupons that purportedly resulted in losses exceeding $17 million to retailers across the United States. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Alina Habba.
Janet Bernal, age 48, faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. The indictment details a scheme that reportedly took place from June 2020 through August 2024, involving the production and sale of fake coupons. These coupons were allegedly used by customers at various retail outlets, including large pharmacies and grocery stores.
According to the indictment, Bernal managed a subscription group on a popular cloud-based messaging platform where members paid a monthly fee to access and download counterfeit coupons. The payments were made via mobile cash accounts controlled by Bernal. This operation reportedly enabled members to redeem thousands of counterfeit coupons at retail locations throughout New Jersey and other parts of the United States, leading to a substantial financial impact on retailers and manufacturers.
The conspiracy and wire fraud charges each carry a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or an amount that is double the gain or loss from the offense, for each count.
U.S. Attorney Alina Habba acknowledged the investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, led by Christopher Nielsen in Newark. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli from the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
It is important to note that the charges and allegations in the indictment are not proof of guilt, and Janet Bernal is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
The defense counsel for Bernal is Carol Dominguez, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender.
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