Struthers man sentenced in counterfeit-check ring

CLEVELAND -- Wickie Tutt Jr., 31, of Struthers has been sentenced to 40 months in prison and ordered to make restitution of $221,209 to 10 financial institutions.
A federal judge also ordered that he serve five years' supervised release. Tutt and six others were prosecuted for bank fraud for their involvement in a counterfeit-check ring.
Earlier this month, Larry Copeland, 39, of Youngstown was sentenced to 42 months in prison, five years' supervised release and restitution of $269,765.
Lonny Townsend, 31, of Youngstown was sentenced to 30 months in prison, three years' supervised release and restitution of $274,734.
Elijah Underwood, 24, of Youngstown got a sentence of six months' incarceration and three years' supervised release and must pay restitution of $31,342.
Brian Hilliard, 24, of Struthers got one day in custody and three years' supervised release, and must pay restitution of $4,903.
Thomas Watson, 37, of Youngstown will be sentenced Jan. 21, and Danielle Hosey, 26, of Youngstown on Jan. 15.
Hosey, while serving as a teller at Metropolitan Bank in Boardman, compromised customers' information and photocopied checks, which she provided to Copeland and others, says John D. Sammon, an assistant U.S. attorney.
The compromised information was used to create false identifications and counterfeit checks, which were then cashed at various banks, Sammon said. The case was investigated by the FBI.