Date: 10-13-2015

Case Style: United States of America v. Chernoh A. Jalloh and Abraham B. Freeman

Case Number: 6:15-cr-00617-BHH

Judge: Bruce Howe Hendricks

Court: United States District Court for the District of South Carolina (Greenville County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Bill Watkins

Defendant's Attorney: Hannah Rogers Metcalfe for Abraham B Freeman

Benjamin Thomas Stepp - FPD for Chernoh A Jalloh

Description: Greenville, SC - Two Plead Guilty to Credit Card Conspiracy

Chernoh A. Jalloh, age 28, and Abraham B. Freeman, age 30, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pled guilty in federal court in Greenville, to a conspiracy to defraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(b)(2). United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks, of Greenville accepted the pleas and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on August 24, 2015, Jalloh and Freeman’s vehicle was stopped on Interstate 85 for a traffic infraction. Upon approaching the vehicle, law enforcement observed the smell of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and conducted a search.

During the search of the vehicle, officers located more than 90 credit and debit/gift cards secreted in various locations throughout the vehicle. Of these cards, at least twenty-three (23) were embossed with Jalloh’s name. Eight (8) of the cards were located in a wallet which was in the vehicle seat which Freeman had occupied. Of these eight (8) cards, five (5) were embossed with Freeman’s name.

In the vehicle, officers also discovered a laptop computer and a device capable of encoding the magnetic stripe data on credit, debit, and similar magnetic-striped cards.

All of the twenty-three (23) cards embossed with Jalloh’s name were found to be encoded with magnetic stripe data that did not match the number embossed on the cards. All of the eight (8) cards found in Freeman’s wallet, including the five (5) cards embossed with Freeman’s name, were also found to be encoded with magnetic stripe data that did not match the number embossed on the cards. Law enforcement estimates that over $40,000 in fraudulent transactions are connected to the counterfeit and altered cards found in the vehicle.

Mr. Nettles stated the maximum penalty the Defendants can receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment for 5 years, plus a special assessment of $100.

The case was investigated by agents of the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Investigations, and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.

Outcome: See above

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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