Atlanta Man Sentenced In Counterfeit Check Scheme

Edmond Heath, 27, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced today to serve 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release, on federal fraud charges, announced David Rivera, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.  Heath was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $21,551.85.

Heath pleaded guilty on August 10, 2015, to two counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiring to produce counterfeit checks.  During the plea hearing, Heath admitted taking part in a scam in which he and other individuals from Atlanta would travel to Tennessee and other states, in order to steal checks from local businesses, manufacture counterfeit checks using information derived from the stolen checks, and recruit and pay local individuals to cash the counterfeit checks. Heath acknowledged stealing checks from a business located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in December 2014 and recruiting an individual to cash counterfeit checks that appeared to be written on the account of the business.  Heath also admitted that he instructed the individual on how to cash counterfeited checks at Pinnacle Bank locations in and around Murfreesboro.

Heath was indicted on the present charges on April 15, 2015, along with Horace Freeman, 52, of Decatur, Georgia and Jennifer Kelson, 25, of Atlanta.  On November 9, 2015, Kelson pleaded guilty to conspiring to produce counterfeit checks and is awaiting sentencing.  Freeman is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely.