Six Plead Guilty to a Multi-State Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire, and Bank Fraud

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Derrick Nelson, age 42, of Timmonsville, South Carolina, Whitney Magazine, age 25, of Jacksonville, Florida, Brittany Duncan, age 25, Tanisha Bynoe, age 30, and Errol Mack, age 29, of Brooklyn, New York, have entered guilty pleas in federal court in Columbia, to conspiring to commit mail, wire and bank fraud involving counterfeit American Express Travelers Checks, a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1349. Eric Wilson, age 48 of Bishopville, South Carolina, plead guilty to the same charge on March 29, 2018. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis, of Columbia, accepted the guilty pleas and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence reports, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence  was presented at the change of plea hearings to establish that the investigation of this case began when the Secret Service received a report that Eric Wilson was selling counterfeit travelers checks while he was living in Florence, South Carolina. Further investigation revealed that the checks were related to an investigation into counterfeit traveler’s checks that the Secret Service had begun in New York in 2007 that had caused losses to American Express of more than twenty million dollars.  The defendants and others were selling, purchasing, spending, and mailing counterfeit travelers checks throughout the United States. All of the defendants were caught in Columbia, South Carolina, and elsewhere, passing counterfeit travelers checks. U.S. Attorney Lydon stated the maximum penalty for Conspiracy to Commit Mail, Wire, or Bank Fraud is imprisonment for 20 years and/or a fine of $250,000.

The case was investigated by agents of the United States Secret Service.  Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

#####