Ten Chicago area residents, eight from the south suburbs, have been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly scheming to counterfeit U.S. Postal Service money orders, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago.
The money orders were typically purchased in amounts of less than $10, then altered to show much higher dollar values, typically between $800 and $1,000, according to indictments announced Wednesday.
In some instances, other money orders were purchased for between $280 and $990, and duplicates were made of the money orders, according to the indictments.
The money orders were deposited in bank accounts and funds withdrawn before banks realized the money orders were fraudulent, according to the indictments.
Charged in the indictments are Nathan Chavis, 29, of Chicago; Lance Brandon Cole, 27, of Richton Park; Marvin Cole, 29, of Chicago Heights; Alexander Cocroft, 28, of Country Club Hills; Munang Ekoi, 26, of Lisle; Sernard Gill Jr., 26, of Matteson; Darius Goodwin, 26, of Country Club Hills; Victor Johnson, 27, of Oak Forest; Reginald Russell, 29, of Glenwood and Armani Spencer-Sprattlin, 32, of Park Forest.
Most of the defendants have made initial appearances in federal court in Chicago, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
According to the indictments, Chavis caused at least $158,610 in altered and counterfeit money orders to be deposited into third-party bank accounts; Marvin Cole and Russell were responsible for at least $132,593; Goodwin, Johnson, Lance Cole, Ekoi, Gill and Spencer-Sprattlin were responsible for at least $895,000; and Cocroft was responsible for at least $207,985.
Purchases of money orders by some of the defendants began in late 2016 and continued through September 2019, according to the indictments.
mnolan@tribpub.com
