A federal grand jury returned multiple indictments this week charging individuals with separate federal crimes in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales today.
Joel Wayne Dickinson, 37, of Flower Mound, Texas; Ashley Ann Ames, 34, of Flower Mound; Christina Marie Smiley, 34, of Flower Mound; and Jami Marie Goodwin, 48, of Irving, Texas, have been indicted and charged with conspiracy to possess forged securities.
Smiley was also indicted for fraud in connection with access devices. According to the indictment, from November 2009 to January 2010, the defendants are alleged to have discovered an online fraud scheme called the “Secret Shopper” program.
The defendants mailed out counterfeit securities to individuals with an explanation of the program in which they fraudulently represented that the recipients were chosen to participate in the program and instructed them to cash the counterfeit securities; wire a certain amount back to the defendants; shop at designated stores with a portion of the money; fill out customer surveys on the store’s performance; and keep a certain amount of money for themselves as payment for their “work.”
If convicted, the defendants each face up to five years in federal prison and Smiley faces an additional 10 years for the access device violation. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Flower Mound Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Andrew Stover.
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