Palmetto woman sentenced in multimillion coupon fraud scheme, prosecutors say
A Palmetto woman is headed to federal prison for her role in a multi-million-dollar counterfeit coupon scheme, prosecutors said.
A federal judge sentenced Sherise Williams, 40, to three years and five months in prison after she pleaded guilty to mail fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Prosecutors said the scheme caused about $32 million in losses to retailers and manufacturers.
An attorney representing Williams did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.
Federal prosecutors said Williams was one of several people who bought counterfeit coupons in bulk from a Virginia Beach couple who created and sold fake coupons online between April 2017 and May 2020.
Palmetto woman sentenced in coupon scam
Investigators said Williams purchased counterfeit coupons from Lori Ann Talens of Virginia Beach on more than 270 occasions, spending nearly $20,000. Prosecutors said Talens’ husband, Pacifico Talens, 43, also assisted and profited from the operation.
Prosecutors said customers received about $50 worth of counterfeit coupons for every dollar paid to Lori Ann. Based on that estimate, Williams caused about $991,067 in losses to retailers and manufacturers, according to federal prosecutors.
Prosecutors said Lori Ann created the counterfeit coupons on a computer in her Virginia Beach home and used social media and apps to sell them to customers. The coupons often carried inflated values that allowed users to receive products for free or at steep discounts.
Court records show Lori Ann received 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to mail fraud, wire fraud and health care fraud, while Pacifico was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to mail fraud.
Williams was the final of seven defendants sentenced in the case.
