United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

AMARILLO WOMEN SENTENCED
IN COUNTERFEITING SCHEME

United States Attorney Richard B. Roper announced that Ginger Michelle Hollis was sentenced today in Amarillo, Texas, to 24 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Mary Lou Robinson. Hollis, age 42, pled guilty in October to one count of conspiracy to manufacture counterfeit obligations. Hollis’s co-defendant, Lori Ellen Van Leer, age 34, also pled guilty to the conspiracy and was sentenced last month to 48 months imprisonment. Hollis and Van Leer were also ordered to pay $16,548.30 in restitution, jointly and severally, and were ordered to forfeit to the government the computer equipment used in their scheme. Both defendants are presently in custody.

The defendants admitted that from February to March 2006 they conspired together to manufacture and traffic in counterfeit obligations. In early 2006, Hollis and Van Leer devised a scheme in which they purchased legitimate and fraudulent identification information, manufactured counterfeit personal checks and counterfeit payroll checks using a home computer and then passed the counterfeit checks at various businesses. The computer was owned by Hollis and was located at Hollis’s residence. When presenting the counterfeit checks for payment, Hollis and Van Leer provided forged or legitimate identification of the account holder listed on the manufactured checks.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the United States Secret Service, the Dumas, Texas Police Department and the Moore County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Drake of the Amarillo, Texas, United States Attorney’s Office.

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