The Brief
- Five Houston-area residents face federal charges after being indicted in a more than $1 million counterfeit U.S. Treasury tax refund check scheme.
- Authorities say the group attempted to get money from a deposited fake U.S. Treasury tax refund check.
- All five defendants appeared in federal court and could face up to 30 years in prison for bank fraud.
HOUSTON – A federal investigation has led to charges against five Houston-area residents accused of trying to profit more than $1 million from a fake U.S. Treasury refund check.
Federal indictment unsealed in $1M check scheme
The backstory:
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reports a 33-count federal indictment filed on July 22 charged five people with passing a counterfeit Treasury check, bank fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering.
According to prosecutors, Torik M. Blade, 39, from Missouri City, allowed someone to deposit a counterfeit U.S. Treasury tax refund check worth $1,052,615.97 into his business account.…