SENTENCING IN CASINO FRAUD CASE ANNOUNCED

Hammond, IN—The United States Attorney's Office announced that on May 3, 2007, Amanda Self a/k/a Amanda Withers, 21, of Valparaiso, Indiana was sentenced to one year probation following her felony conviction for conspiracy to pass an altered U.S. Treasury check with intent to defraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 371. In August 2005, Self received what she knew to be an altered U.S. Treasury check from Averell Williams. Self attempted to pass this altered U.S. Treasury check, the purported value of which was increased by over $8,000 and the payee of which was changed to be in the name of an individual whose identity Self was using, at a pawn shop in Valparaiso, Indiana. Because the pawn shop recognized the fraudulent nature of the check, Self and Williams obtained no money and the pawn shop suffered no loss. Williams, who at the time of the offense was out on federal bond after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, received sentence enhancements in his firearms case for his role in the fraud scheme and was sentenced to 86 months imprisonment by Judge Lozano in September 2006. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, with the assistance of the Valparaiso Police Department and the ATF/HIDTA Task Force.

This case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Dean R. Lanter, who can be reached at 219-937-5500 for any inquiries.

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