Sherri Michelle Rhodes Sentenced To 34 Months In Prison For Wire Fraud And Aggravated Identity Theft

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Sherri Michelle Rhodes, 42, of Knoxville, Tenn., was sentenced to serve 34 months in prison by the Honorable Leon Jordan, Senior U.S. District Judge. Rhodes pleaded guilty in November 2013 to a federal indictment charging her with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Upon her release from prison, Rhodes will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for a period of three years. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $522.63.

Rhodes negotiated counterfeit checks at retailers in the Knoxville area. The counterfeit checks contained bank account information gleaned from mail that she had stolen. The counterfeit checks were negotiated with false identification cards bearing the same name as the account holder on the checks and a picture of Rhodes. When negotiating the counterfeit checks at a local merchant, the bank account information was processed electronically by Telecheck Services, Inc., in Houston, Texas.

The indictment and subsequent conviction of Rhodes was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Morris represented the United States.