NW Arkansas counterfeiters sentenced

4 people pleaded guilty in March after convenience stores reported fake bills

FAYETTEVILLE — Four Northwest Arkansas residents were sentenced in federal court last week for counterfeiting money last year.

April Raven Stults, 26; Mary K. King, 47; and Allen Dean Vanover, 34, all of Fayetteville; and Garret E. Nichols, 30, of Lowell pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in March. Some charges were dropped in exchange for guilty pleas.

Stults pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting counterfeiting.

After receiving information Stults was involved with counterfeiting, police found fake money, ink cartridges, cutting boards, scissors and chemicals, all related to the production of counterfeit currency, according to her plea bargain.

A search of her car produced more fake money printed on sheets of paper that hadn’t been processed, police said.

Stults was sentenced Friday to time served, 170 days, to be followed by three years’ supervised release. She also was fined $250 and ordered to pay $10 restitution.

Vanover pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in the manufacturing of counterfeit obligations.

Vanover was arrested after a woman passed a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store in Fayetteville. The woman told police she got the money from Vanover, according to court documents.

The woman showed police her phone, which showed messages from Vanover saying he was making fake money. Police had the woman call Vanover, ask for more fake money and set up a meeting, according to court documents. Vanover had fake bills on him when he was arrested, and he told police he helped Stults produce the counterfeit currency.

Vanover was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. He also was fined $1,900 and ordered to pay $240 restitution.

Nichols pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the counterfeiting operation.

Nichols came to the attention of police after several individuals said he was passing counterfeit currency in the area, according to his plea agreement.

After Stults was arrested, police contacted Nichols as he approached Stults’ apartment. Police said Nichols had two printers used for counterfeiting in his car. Nichols said he helped Stults with the counterfeiting operation and disposed of related trash.

Nichols was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years’ supervised release. He also was fined $1,900 and ordered to pay $240 restitution.

King pleaded guilty to passing counterfeit bills.

She came to the attention of police after a man passed a fake $10 bill at a Fayetteville convenience store, according to King’s plea agreement. The man told police he got the money from King along with $200 in fake $20 bills.

King’s landlord told police she paid rent with $130 in counterfeit currency. Police found another fake $20 bill in King’s purse. She was arrested and told police she got the money from Stults.

King was sentenced Friday to time served, 170 days, and one year of supervised release. He was also fined $250 and ordered to pay $100 restitution.

The investigation by Fayetteville police and U.S. Secret Service agents was in October and November.