City Council member's wife admits bank fraud role


Trafficked $564,000 in counterfeit checks

The wife of Common Council Majority Leader Demone A. Smith pleaded guilty Monday to federal bank fraud charges in connection with $564,000 in counterfeit checks.


Jayme D. Smith, 35, admitted creating the fraudulent checks and mailing them to individuals across the United States while working for the Buffalo Bills last year.
As part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors, she admitted printing some of the counterfeit checks from her home computer and signing names such as "Keith Marion," "John Gray" and "John White" to those checks.


Defense attorney John V. Elmore said his client's involvement in the check scheme stemmed from an Internet scam to which she fell victim during the National Football League lockout last year. "I believe that she was duped," Elmore said.
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Wife's fraud not known to him, councilman says


Fellow lawmakers consider spouse's misdeeds 'personal issue'

Common Council Majority Leader Demone A. Smith said Tuesday he did not know that his wife was involved in a counterfeit check scheme until investigators showed up.
Jayme D. Smith, the city lawmaker's wife, pleaded guilty Monday to federal bank fraud charges.
According to her plea deal, Jayme Smith created and mailed about $564,000 in fraudulent checks to people across the country last year. She printed some of the checks at home and signed other people's names to them. Her attorney said she was paid about $900.

In the end, four banks lost about $20,100.
"She was a victim of an online predator," Demone Smith said after Tuesday's Council meeting. "She got to the point where it went to court. She took responsibility for her involvement, and, pretty much, she got duped."
While his wife awaits sentencing in cqJuly, it appears that the Masten District representative is not in danger of losing his leadership post on the Council.


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