Erie Woman Pleads Guilty in Scheme that Used Homeless to Cash Stolen Checks

ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

Jasmine Nicole Carter, 30, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around August 2015, to in and around September 2018, Carter and a co-defendant engaged in a scheme where they stole checks from the mail and used homeless people with valid identification to cash the checks. The defendants removed the legitimate name from the checks and replaced them with the homeless persons’ name.

Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2020. The law provides for a total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Erie Police Department and the Millcreek Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Carter.