Newberry County Sheriff: 15 arrested during investigation into check cashing ring

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– The Newberry County Sheriff’s Office says 15 individuals have been arrested in connection with an investigation into a check cashing ring. Authorities say this scheme defrauded banks and businesses out of over $70,000.

This investigation is being carried out by the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Newberry City Police and Prosperity Police.

Law enforcement says they were notified of a check casing scheme, involving replicating routing and account numbers form legitimate checks. Investigators say multiple checks were reprinted using high end printing. Officials say they discovered checks were manufactured and passed through an account number from the Newberry County Inmate Trust Fund. Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster says he contacted SLED for assistance since some of the checks were passed outside of Newberry County.

Sheriff Foster said, “this investigation is ongoing as checks are being processed and other businesses and banks are calling law enforcement to file the forgery activity”. “As this investigation continues, we expect more arrest to follow,” said Sheriff Foster. “This ring has cost mostly small businesses tens of thousands of dollars in an economy in which they can’t afford to lose any revenue, according to Sheriff Foster.” Foster went on to say, “this was more than passing bad checks, this was an organized effort to defraud our local businesses out of a considerable amount of money. When this happens, we all lose because the businesses, mostly small locally owned ones, have to raise prices or go out of business all-together.”

Sheriff Foster says the following 15 individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with this investigation:

• Shawon Ernquan Sims (21)
  • Five counts of forgery, four counts of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
• Timothy De Darius Martin (26)
  • Obtaining property under false pretense, two counts of conspiracy and financial transaction card fraud.
• Angeliean Sims (22)
  • Two counts of forgery
• Deandre Seandell Henley (22)
  • Two counts of forgery, possession of marijuana, possession of controlled substance
• Breazae Elise Jackson (22)
  • Two counts of forgery
• Ty’neisha Oceona Lindsay (25)
  • Forgery
• Benjamin Damin Gorie (22)
  • Forgery
• Tyquisha Alante Newman (24)
  •  Eight counts of forgery
• Tony Rodriquez Mason (21)
  • Forgery
• Jamel Shemar Kibler (21)
  • Three counts of forgery and three counts of conspiracy
• Arkevis Rashad Coleman (19)
  • Forgery
• Isis Nyasha Gary (24)
  • Two counts of forgery
• Stanley Ahmaad Martin Jr. (19)
  • Two counts of forgery
• Linda Kay Ruff (56)
  • Forgery
• Aleera Daijanna Praylow (22)
  • Forgery