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Press Release

North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Counterfeit Currency Conspiracy

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of West Virginia

BECKLEY, W.Va. –Xavier Sanders, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Sanders admitted to his role in a conspiracy to create and pass counterfeit United States currency in the Southern District of West Virginia.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 12, 2022, Sanders traveled with Crystal Wilks, Jamarcus Harris, and a third co-conspirator from North Carolina to West Virginia. Sanders admitted that they passed counterfeit $100 bills at businesses in Beckley, Fayetteville and Summersville upon their arrival.

Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on March 22, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Sanders also owes at least $400 in restitution.

Wilks, 23, and Harris, 32, both of Lenoir, North Carolina, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States on October 13, 2023, and await sentencing.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service.

United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon, Andrew D. Isabell and Ryan Blackwell are prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-54. 

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Updated November 9, 2023