United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced today, August 9, 2006, that Diane Jackson of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on a charge of Conspiracy to Pass Counterfeit Checks.
The one-count indictment named Jackson, age 45, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to the indictment presented to the Court, Jackson participated in a conspiracy with other individuals, in which another individual manufactured counterfeit checks and provided them to Jackson, and then Jackson passed the checks at various retail establishments in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Financial Crimes Task Force of Southwestern Pennsylvania conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case. The Financial Crimes Task Force of Southwestern Pennsylvania is comprised of United States Postal Inspectors, Special Agents of the United States Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Investigators from the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, and Detectives from Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
