SCRANTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brinayah Clark, age 18, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kendall Rawls, age 22, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nazeer Amir Shamsud-Din, age 22, of Snellville, Georgia, and Jaquan Underwood, age 21, of Philadelphia Pennsylvania, were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of passing counterfeit federal reserve notes.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on September 10, 2022, the defendants passed $1,200 in counterfeit bills at the Walmart in Dickson City, Pennsylvania, $500 in counterfeit bills at the Aldi grocery store in Dickson City, and $1,100 in counterfeit bills at the Walmart in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The indictment further alleges that from February of 2022 until September 10, 2022, the defendants conspired to pass counterfeit federal reserve notes, including incidents at four other stores in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties, and incidents at other retail stores throughout the state.
The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Dickson City Police Department, the Pittston Police Department, the Taylor Borough Police Department, the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Buchanan is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is twenty years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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