FAYETTEVILLE -- Four area residents pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to charges related to counterfeiting money last year.
April Raven Stults, 26; Mary K. King, 47; and Allen Dean Vanover, 34, all of Fayetteville; and Garret E. Nichols, 30, of Lowell entered pleas in U.S. District Court. In exchange for guilty pleas to some charges, others will be dropped.
Stults pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting counterfeiting.
After receiving information that Stults was involved with counterfeiting, police found fake money, currency printed on paper, ink cartridges, cutting boards, scissors and chemicals for washing fake bills, all related to the production of counterfeit currency, according to her plea bargain. A search of her car produced more fake money printed on sheets of paper that had not been processed.
Vanover pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in the manufacturing of counterfeit obligations. Vanover was arrested after a woman passed a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store in Fayetteville. The woman told police she got the money from Vanover, according to court documents.
The woman showed police her phone, which showed messages from Vanover saying he was making fake money. Police had the woman call Vanover, ask for more fake money and set up a meeting, according to court documents. Vanover had fake bills on him when arrested and told police he helped Stults produce the counterfeit currency.
Nichols pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the counterfeiting operation. Nichols came to the attention of police after several individuals said he was passing counterfeit currency in the area, according to his plea agreement. After Stults was arrested, police contacted Nichols as he approached her apartment. Police said Nichols had two printers used for counterfeiting in his car. Nichols said he helped Stults with the counterfeiting operation and disposed of related trash.
King pleaded guilty to passing counterfeit bills. She came to the attention of police after a man passed a fake $10 bill at a Fayetteville convenience store, according to her plea agreement. The man told police he got the money from King along with $200 in fake $20 bills.
King's landlord told police she paid rent with $130 in counterfeit currency. Police found another fake $20 bill in King's purse. She was arrested and told police she got the money from Stults.
The investigation by Fayetteville police and U.S. Secret Service agents was in October and November 2017.
NW News on 03/31/2018