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Port Arthur Man Sentenced for Counterfeit Check Scheme

U.S. Attorney’s Office January 23, 2009
  • Eastern District of Texas (409) 839-2538

BEAUMONT, TX—United States Attorney Rebecca A. Gregory announced today a 33-year-old Port Arthur man has been sentenced for his role in a counterfeit check scheme in the Eastern District of Texas.

SHERMAN JOHN BYRON, JR., pleaded guilty on May 21, 2008, to conspiracy to make counterfeit securities and possession of false identification documents and was sentenced to 3 years probation today by United States District Judge Ron Clark. Byron was also ordered to pay $21,767.00 in restitution.

According to information presented in court, on Sept. 25, 2007, Byron was arrested by Nederland Police for possession of three false identification cards while attempting to cash a $100 bill. Byron admitted to police that he received the three false social security cards from co-defendant, Larry Armon DeBlanc, Jr., and that he had been cashing counterfeit checks for DeBlanc. Byron would then give the proceeds from the fake checks to DeBlanc and be paid $100 or more, depending on the size of the checks. Further investigation revealed that Byron had been involved in cashing at least 10 other counterfeit checks in the Beaumont area, including one which bore his latent fingerprint and which the merchant recorded Byron on the business' video security system. Byron and Deblanc were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 5, 2008. DeBlanc pleaded guilty to charges on May 21, 2008, and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and restitution of over $24,000.00 on Jan. 22, 2009.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Groves Police Department, the Port Neches Police Department, the Nederland Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Rawls.

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