Five men face up to 20 years in prison for purchasing video game consoles with counterfeit money.
The defendants include Deandre Wright, 24, Demetrius James, 20, Keartic Threatt, 20, Tauris White, 20, and Travis Raggs, 19.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Wright and James began manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes in early 2014. Upon completion, Wright, James, Threatt, White and Raggs targeted individuals selling PlayStations, Xboxes, and cell phones on Craigslist.
Once the defendants came across a seller that fit the bill, one of them would contact the person and arrange a location to meet and make an exchange. However, multiple victims were able to discover the money being used during exchanges was counterfeit. This led to the defendants becoming forceful and fleeing from meeting locations, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
An investigation revealed the group defrauded approximately 50 victims, which included both teens and adults. The PlayStations and Xboxes were reportedly being sold to the defendants for between $200 and $400.
All five men have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and pass counterfeit United States currency to individuals selling items on Craigslist. They each face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
