Check fraud ring includes Greer, Fountain Inn people

Staff Writer

COLUMBIA - Two Easley and one Six Mile resident have been

indicted by a federal grand jury with conspiracy in connection

with a check fraud scheme.

Russell Day, 42, and Allison Johnson, 37, both of an undisclosed

address in Easley, and Stephen Herlong, 36, of an undisclosed

address in Six Mile, face a charge of conspiracy to make and pass

counterfeit checks, according to a release by U.S. Attorney

Reginald Lloyd.

A federal grand jury in Greenville returned the one-count

indictment Tuesday, according to the release.

The trio is among seven Upstate people named in the

indictment. It alleges that between August 2006 and February

2007, the group passed fake payroll checks at various businesses

throughout the Upstate.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and will

be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Walter Wilkins in

Greenville.

If convicted, each of the accused faces up to five years in

prison and a fine up to $250,000, the release said.

Reach Ginny Johnson at 855-0355 or

gjohnson@theeasleyprogress.com.