Cleveland woman sentenced for selling stolen U.S. Treasury bonds

Posted byadmin Posted onJanuary 10, 2025 Comments0
Cleveland woman sentenced for selling stolen U.S. Treasury bonds

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CLEVELAND – A woman has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for conspiring to sell stolen U.S. Treasury bonds.

According to a press release, Toni Laverne Smith, 71, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including transporting and selling stolen U.S. Treasury bonds across state lines, forging treasury bonds, and using a false social security number. Court documents reveal that Smith possessed U.S. Treasury bonds believed to have been stolen from an elderly woman in 2011.

The investigation found that from September 2011 to April 2012, Smith and a co-conspirator transported stolen U.S. Treasury bonds across state lines. They used fake identification cards in the victim’s name to negotiate the sale of over 350 forged Series E and EE U.S. Treasury bonds, with a total face value of $268,500. The sale generated approximately $299,364 in proceeds, including interest on mature bonds.

Additionally, Smith and her co-conspirator used the victim’s Social Security number to open bank accounts at various financial institutions, reaching as far as Michigan and Illinois.

Smith evaded capture for more than a decade until federal authorities apprehended her on June 3, 2024, on unrelated charges.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Healy for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report stolen treasury bonds, visit treasurydirect.gov or call 844-284-2676.

This story was created by Jane Imbody, [email protected], with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.

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