Georgia Woman Convicted Of Involvement In Counterfeit Check Scheme

RICHMOND, Va. – Rasheeda McConnell, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury of conspiring to commit bank fraud and six counts of bank fraud.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Mark R. Herring, Attorney General of Virginia; Gary Barksdale, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Kathy A. Michalko, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the verdict was accepted by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney.

McConnell was indicted on March 4, 2014, by a federal grand jury on conspiracy and bank fraud charges.  According to court records and evidence at trial, McConnell was part of a group that stole business checks from commercial mailboxes and used them to make counterfeit checks.  The group then recruited people to cash the checks from areas where the homeless or unemployed would congregate.  McConnell drove conspirators for several of these transactions and also attempted to recruit cashers via email and social media.

McConnell faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each count of conviction when she is sentenced on October 27, 2014.  Five co-defendants previously pled guilty in this case and are awaiting sentencing.   Christopher Eugene Pope is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2014; Devante Carson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 27, 2014; Kevin Lavon Smith, and Rodney Keith Barnes, II, are scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2014; and Brandon Jermaine Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17, 2014.  Another co-defendant, Damion Latoras Foster, remains at large.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, United States Secret Service, and Chesterfield County Police Department as members of the Metro-Richmond Identity Theft Task Force.  Other member agencies of the Task Force include: the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the U.S. Department of State, Richmond Police Department, and Henrico County Division of Police.  Prosecutions for the Task Force are handled by the United States Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Virginia Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles A. Quagliato and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Moore are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.  Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:14-cr-28.