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Press Release

Poteau Woman Sentenced To 9 Months For Stolen Postal Money Orders

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Oklahoma

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that LONETTA NICHOLE CROSS, age 44, of Poteau, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment and 3 years supervised release for CONSPIRACY TO STEAL, POSSESS AND UTTER STOLEN UNITED STATES POSTAL MONEY ORDERS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; for POSSESSION OF STOLEN POSTAL MONEY ORDERS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 500; and for multiples counts of PASSING AND UTTERING OF STOLEN POSTAL MONEY ORDERS, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 500.

The Indictment alleged that on or about December 24, 2015, and continuing thereafter until on or about January 13, 2016, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant, did knowingly and willfully conspire, confederate and agree together, and with other persons both known and unknown to the Grand Jury, to commit offenses against the United States; namely, did knowingly steal, receive, possess, pass and utter, and attempt to pass and utter stolen United States Postal Service Money Order Forms with the intent to convert them to her own use or gain, and the use or gain of another, knowing said United States Postal Service Money Order Forms to have been stolen and converted.

The Indictment further alleged that on or about December 24, 2015, and continuing thereafter until on or about January 13, 2016, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere, the defendant, did knowingly receive and possess stolen and converted blank money order form provided by, and under the authority of, the United States Postal Service with the intent to convert it to her own use and gain and the use and gain of another.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Pocola Police Department, the Shady Point Police Department, the Leflore County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Service.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the nonparoleable sentence will be served.

Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States.

Updated April 6, 2017

Topics
Financial Fraud
StopFraud