A joint investigation by the Seal Beach Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service has resulted in six people being charged with stealing over $650,000 from Southland retailers by using counterfeit American Express traveler’s checks.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced the charges Tuesday, Feb. 16.
According to the police log, the Seal Beach Police Department took two of the six defendants into custody during the early morning hours of
Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 62nd Street in Los Angeles.
Seal Beach investigators arrested Tyrone Gray, 33, of Los Angeles, and Niesha Johnson, 25, of Lancaster when they served an arrest warrant at approximately 3:49 a.m., Feb. 10.
According to the DA’s office, the six defendants face 99 counts in the traveler’s check case that include: second degree commercial burglary, felony forgery, felony street burglary, misdemeanor receiving stolen property and sentencing “enhancements” that include causing the loss of over $100,000, aggravated white collar crime involving more than $500,000, causing more than $65,000 property damage and criminal street gang activity.
The other defendants are Jazmine Willliams, 21, of Hawthorne; Brittany Myvett, 18, of Los Angeles; Nedra Beard, 41, of Los Angeles. Beard is Johnson’s mother.
The District Attorney’s Office has accused Gray and Tyrica Jenice Goff, 30, Los Angeles of recruiting the other four defendants to use counterfeit traveler’s checks to steal from retailers in the counties of Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego. Gray is Goff’s boyfriend.
According to the DA’s office, between December 2008 and February 2010, the defendants used $100 traveler’s checks to purchase items from stores, then accepting cash for the difference between the sales price of the purchase and the face value of the traveler’s check in question.
Prosecutors also say the defendants then took some of the “purchased” items to different stores in the same chain and returned those items for cash.
“We got involved because there was a crime at Kohl’s,” said Sgt. Steve Bowles, public information officer for the SBPD.
He said the crime involved a traveler’s check. As the police investigated the case, they learned the Secret Service had information about one of their suspects.
At that point, the two agencies teamed up.
The Secret Service was originally created to fight counterfeiting following the Civil War, according to secretservice.gov. The agency also protects federal officials and foreign dignitaries.
If convicted, Gray could be sentenced to a maximum of 74 years and 8 months in prison. His bail has been set at $653,000.
Goff faces a maximum of 82 years and 8 months in prison. Her bail has been set at $653,000.
Williams could receive a maximum sentence of 13 years and 4 months. Her bail has been set at $126,000.
Myvett faces a maximum sentence of 12 years and 8 months. Her bail has been set at $126,000.
Johnson could receive a maximum sentence of 6 years. Her bail has been set at $74,100.
Like her daughter, Beard could also face a maximum sentence of six years. Also like her daughter, Beard’s bail has been set at $74,100.
Anyone with information about the case should contact Seal Beach Detective David Barr at (562) 799-4100, extension 1110; the Secret Service Los Angeles Field Office Bank Fraud Squad at (213) 894-4830 or Supervising District Attorney Investigator Ron Frazier at (714) 347-8691.
