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Colorado man sentenced for counterfeit credit card scheme
McCOOK, Neb. — One of two people arrested in connection with a counterfeit credit card scheme, believed to have resulted in just shy of $7,000 in losses for area businesses, was sentenced to jail time and ordered to pay restitution recently in Red Willow County District Court.
The man, 40-year-old Michael P. Anderson of Loveland, Colo., was ordered to serve 360 days in county jail with credit for 133 days already served. He was also ordered to serve 12 months post release supervision and pay $6,952 in restitution to eight different McCook businesses.
Given Nebraska’s good-time provisions and Anderson’s credit for time served, he will likely be out of jail before the end of November.
Anderson accepted a plea agreement in June admitting guilt to a Class IV felony offense for unauthorized use of a financial transaction device resulting in less than $5,000 in losses. He was originally facing a Class 2A felony alleging unauthorized use of a financial transaction device resulting in a loss of more than $5,000.
A status hearing was continued for Anderson’s alleged accomplice, 46-year-old Christina J. Jude of Trenton, recently relocated from Greeley, Colorado, until 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2017. Jude pleaded not guilty to a Class 2A felony alleging unauthorized use of a financial transaction device in May.
According to court documents, the couple purchased slightly more than $1,000 in musical equipment from Hershberger’s Music Store in McCook on a credit card that wouldn’t swipe but was approved after manually keying the number.
The clerk suspected something seemed peculiar about the couple so he recorded their license plate number. The license plate led investigators to Anderson’s 19- page criminal history, which included an active probation sentence in Boulder, Colo., for illegal use of credit cards, theft and identity theft.
Investigators subsequently received similar credit card chargeback complaints and security footage from two other businesses, including several transactions at Smoker’s Outlet and losses reported by Game On.
Anderson’s restitution order indicates several other chargebacks were subsequently linked to him and totaled $6,952. He was ordered to pay $1,057 in restitution to Hershberger Music Co.; $2,126 to Smoker’s Outlet; $625 to Game On; $1,444 to VK Electronics; $345 to Frenchman Valley Coop; $597 to Casey’s General Store; $505 to the Bottle Shop; and $250 to the Spirit Shop.
Other activity in Red Willow County District Court, July 31, 2017:
* A plea agreement was reached with a Bartley man admitting guilt to a Class 2A felony burglary offense and a Class 2 misdemeanor for second-degree forgery, $10-$500. The man, 33-year-old Kyle S. Blackman, was subsequently scheduled for sentencing at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2017.
The plea agreement dismissed a Class IV felony alleging possession of amphetamine and two infractions alleging possession of drug paraphernalia.
The charges stem from the burglary of 202 Cedar Street in Bartley and a $50 check written on Richard Besler’s account at State Bank of Bartley, according to court documents.
* A trial was set for 9:45 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2017, in a probation violation case filed against 42-year-old Melida Casarez of Imperial, formerly of McCook. Casarez was originally sentenced to 24 months probation in June of 2015 on a felony offense for possession of methamphetamine.