Inmate Convicted In Check ForgeryScheme

SPRINGFIELD, Pa. - (01/31/05) -- A prison inmate was convicted instate court last week of running a counterfeit check ring thatvictimized a dozen area credit unions and banks while he was out ofjail on work release. Prosecutors said Lakendrick Mills was one offive inmates at Montgomery County jail who had other people pass asmuch as $80,000 in phony checks on Philadelphia area financialinstitutions. Mills, who was serving two-to-four years sentence atthe time, is expected to serve extended time in prison as a resultof his latest conviction on forgery, theft, conspiracy and runninga corrupt organization. The scheme began to unravel in 2003 whenone of the participants tried to pass a check at the county prisonas proof he was working while out of prison. Among the institutionsvictimized in the scheme were: Diamond CU, New Jersey FCU, FleetBank, Sovereign Bank and First Union (now Wachovia). The ring wasallegedly headed by convicted check counterfeiter Jason Duff, whowas serving time on forgery charges. While out on a work-releaseprogram, Duff was using a personal computer at his girlfriend'shouse to print checks on the various institutions, then he wouldhave friends, several also on work-release, cash thechecks.