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Press Release

Wisconsin Man Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Local Retailers

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Iowa

A man who defrauded local retailers by switching UPC codes on consumer products pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Jeremy J. Fishnick, age 26, from Lancaster, Wisconsin, was convicted of one count of wire fraud.

In a plea agreement, Fishnick admitted that, between at least July 2012 and November 20, 2012, he using home computer equipment and a printer to create fraudulent UPC codes on adhesive labels. He then entered retail stores and covered real UPC codes on higher-priced models of certain products using the fraudulent UPC codes he created. In so doing, Fishnick caused the items to reflect substantially lower prices when electronically scanned at checkout. Fishnick admitted fraudulently purchasing products from stores in, at least, Dubuque, Iowa, Maquoketa, Iowa, Anamosa, Iowa, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Coralville, Iowa, Monticello, Iowa, and Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin. Fishnick also admitted his scheme caused a loss to retailers of more than $30,000.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Fishnick was released on bond pending sentencing. Fishnick faces a possible maximum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter Deegan and was investigated by the Dubuque, Iowa, Police Department; the Maquoketa, Iowa, Police Department; the Anamosa, Iowa, Police Department; the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Police Department; the Coralville, Iowa, Police Department; the Monticello, Iowa, Police Department; the Vinton, Iowa, Police Department; the Lancaster, Wisconsin, Police Department; and the Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin, Police Department.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 13-1009 LRR.

Updated February 19, 2015