Colorado Woman Found Guilty After Using Deceased Person’s Identity to Cash Counterfeit Checks

TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury today convicted Sarai Jamila Nyasha Freeman, 41, of Aurora, Colorado today for two counts of Passing and Uttering Counterfeit Obligations and Securities, two counts of Aggravated Identity Theft, and Failure to Appear.

According to court documents, Freeman was provided an airline ticket to appear for trial in December 2024. The day trial was set to begin, Freeman failed to appear resulting in a warrant being issued for her arrest.

Evidence presented at trial shows that in January 2020, Freeman fraudulently used a deceased person's identity to cash two counterfeit U.S. Treasury Checks.

Evidence showed that in 2023, Freeman pled guilty to four counts of uttering forged documents in 2019 in Tulsa County. In the state case, court documents further showed that two bench warrants were issued for her appearance.

Freeman was taken into custody where she will await sentencing at a later date.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, 
and Wal-Mart Global Investigations investigated the case, and the U.S. Marshals Service assisted in the arrest.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Whipple and Charles Greenough prosecuted the case.