SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A Shreveport man was sentenced in federal court for his part in a counterfeit check cashing scheme, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.
A media release was received from US Attorney Brandon B. Brown’s Office announcing that 27-year-old Anthony E. Johnson was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release plus $110,773 in restitution.
According to court documents, in 2017 and 2018, Johnson conspired with two Shreveport men, Carlos A. Spann and Phelix Williams, to cash counterfeit checks using fake identities at banks and other retail establishments throughout Louisiana.
Spann gave Johnson and Williams altered overlays for identification cards, counterfeit checks drawn on Tower Loan’s bank account, and fake checks are drawn on a United States Postal Service bank account. Each of the fraudulent transactions was captured on surveillance video.
Johnson pleaded guilty on January 17, 2019. The court ordered that he comply with U.S. Probation Office requirements for his pretrial supervised release conditions and was allowed to remain free on bond until his May 1, 2019 sentencing hearing.
Johnson failed to comply with pretrial release conditions, and a warrant was issued for his arrest in March 2019.
Shreveport police officers arrested Johnson in September 2022 on an unrelated charge and learned of Johnson’s federal warrant at that time. He was returned to the custody of the United States Marshal to face charges.