Fake $2,640 passed in Fort Myers results in two-year prison sentence for California woman
A Los Angeles woman who passed counterfeit $20 bills in Fort Myers in 2021 will serve two years in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber sentenced Savannah Symone Duncan, 24, on Friday for passing or uttering counterfeit U.S. currency. She pleaded guilty Nov. 23.
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Court documents said that on April 28, 2021, Duncan passed 132 counterfeit $20 bills to cashiers at five CVS stores and a Michaels store in Fort Myers.
The court documents said Duncan passed approximately $2,640 in counterfeit currency to buy gift cards, which was captured on store surveillance.
The United States Secret Service and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.
During the Sheriff's Office investigation information was received from Walgreens Asset Protection showing surveillance photos of two females passing the same currencies as the ones in Lee County on or around April l5, 2021.
Accomplice sentenced, too
After Duncan and an accomplice, Tatum Janeva Cottrell, 24, were traced to a rental residence off Estero Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach on April 29, 2021, investigators found genuine currency with a value of $339. The genuine was found folded, separated from counterfeit currency within wallet.
The total of counterfeit U.S. currency found in the rental residence was $14,040 and the The total genuine currency found there was $4,327.
Investigators noted that serial numbers found matched the serial numbers recorded on currency collected at different merchants across Lee County along with serial numbers provided by Walgreens from Miami-Dade county.
Cottrell was sentenced in April via a plea agreement to five-years probation. She must participate in a substance abuse treatment program and follow the recommendations, participate in a mental health treatment program and follow the recommendations, submit to searches, is prohibited from incurring new credit charges, opening additional lines of credit, or obligating herself for any major purchases without approval of the probation officer.
She was also charged a special assessment of $200 with fines waived. She must pay restitution of $780 to CVS and $320 to Walgreens. Counts 3 and 4 of the indictment, describing counterfeiting activity, were dismissed.
Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: L.A. woman gets prison for passing $2,640 in fake money in Fort Myers
