Illegal aliens sentenced in Johnsonville check fraud case

Seven illegal aliens were sentenced in federal court for being in the United States without authorization and for attempting to cash counterfeit payroll checks, U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins said in a press release.   

In October, Johnsonville police received a call for assistance from the Piggly Wiggly supermarket concerning 11 Hispanic people trying to cash suspicious payroll checks at the store. The checks were purportedly drawn on an account held by Palmetto Labor Services Inc. Officers called the labor company and confirmed that the checks were counterfeit, and arrested all 11 people.

The U.S. Secret Service was notified and determined that the same group successfully passed counterfeit checks totaling $6,692 at a Red & White Supermarket in Marion. Further investigation revealed that all suspects had illegally entered the United States from Mexico, and that they had been traveling and passing counterfeit checks throughout the United States.

Those sentenced Wednesday to eight months in prison were Daniel Chacon, also known as Benjamin Galindo, 24; Pedro Mundo-Cruz, also known as Javier Lopez, 23; and Sergio Perez, 25. Mario Macias-Hernandez, also known as Arturo Diaz, 24, was sentenced to 10 months in prison Wednesday.

Those who were sentenced in connection with the case April 7 were Viridiana Macias-Hernandez, also known as Maria Rodrigez, 24, six months in prison; Hugo Vega, 27, eight months in prison; and Alfredo Bautista-Bello, also known as Jose Sanchez, 32, 10 months in prison

All are required to pay $608.37 restitution, and must cooperate with Immigration and Custom Enforcement in deportation proceedings.

Four other defendants await sentencing.

The case, which also was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Day II of the Florence office.