State Crime Reports

Rockford Man Pleads Guilty To Fraud Involving More Than $500,000 In Fictitious Money Orders


ROCKFORD —(ENEWSPF)–February 5, 2015.  A Rockford, Ill. man pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Kapala for producing a fictitious financial instrument that appeared to be issued under the authority of the U.S. Treasury.  In pleading guilty, BRADLEY SHERMAN HAMPTON, 55, admitted that on Aug. 31, 2009, he created a fictitious $48,780 money order in an attempt to defraud Regions Bank and the U.S. Treasury. 

According to the written plea agreement, Hampton also admitted that in 2009 he produced eight other fictitious money orders in an attempt to defraud.  The nine fictitious money orders totaled $547,578.47 and purported to be issued under the authority of a Federal Reserve Bank, the Department of the Treasury, or the United States Treasury.  The fictitious money orders were made payable to Chase Home Finance, Chase National Payment Service, Holcomb State Bank, Regency Worldwide Development, Inc., Harley Davidson Credit, and the Faith Center in Rockford, Ill.

Producing a fictitious financial instrument carries a penalty of up to 25 years in prison, up to 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a maximum fine of either $250,000, or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from that offense, whichever is greater.  The Court must impose a reasonable sentence under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines, as well as restitution.  Sentencing for Hampton is set for June 1, 2015, at 9:00 a.m. 

The guilty plea was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert J. Holley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Frank Benedetto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Secret Service’s Chicago Field Office.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Love.

Source: justice.gov


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