WOMAN CONVICTED IN ‘99 COUNTERFEIT CHECK RING GETS
BALANCE OF 10 YR. SENTENCE FOR VIOLATING PROBATION

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that Jennifer Scruggs, 43, whose last known address was 4826 Benning Road, SE, Washington, DC, was found guilty of violating her probation in connection with her 1999 conviction for forgery and was sentenced by the Honorable Michael P. Whelan, Circuit Court for Prince Georges County, to serve the balance of her original 10 year sentence in the Division of Corrections. At the time of her sentencing in 1999, all but six years of her 10 year sentence was suspended. The court found that she had violated her probation by absconding from supervision. Scruggs has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1984 for convictions in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, ranging from Uttering, Theft of Government Property, Forgery and Felony Theft.

Scruggs and her co-defendant were originally charged with running a counterfeit check cashing scheme from their home in Laurel where they manufactured counterfeit payroll checks and had several individuals, or ‘passers’, negotiate the checks at local check cashing facilities and liquor stores, before bringing the money to Scruggs. The counterfeit checks were drawn on the accounts of unsuspecting area government agencies and businesses, such as the Library of Congress, Turner Construction and Clark Construction. In less than six months, the scheme netted over $40,000, before the ring was broken up by the Maryland State Police and the United States Secret Service.

"I applaud Judge Whelan for enforcing the terms of Ms. Scruggs’ probation," Attorney General Curran said. "Identity Fraud is a serious crime that needs to carry serious penalties for those who commit it."

The case was prosecuted by the Criminal Investigations Division of the Office of the Attorney General.

#